I Will Buy You A New Life
by shehasnotime
Summary: She wanted the one thing he couldn't give her. When they hastily decide to adopt, will it make all of their problems disappear or just create new ones? AU BL
1. It Only Hurts Just Once

**An: Hello, so I'm back after a very unmotivated past few months. I was trying to write a different story but I had this idea and it wouldn't go away until I wrote it. Please tell me what you think and for once, I actually wrote a few chapters so I won't take ten years to update. **

--

"Mm, I have to shower and get ready for work," Lucas mumbled in between kisses, desperately trying to break free from the hold Brooke had on his body. "Brooke, come on, I'm gonna be late…"

"But who works on a Saturday?" Brooke pouted, tugging at his bottom lip with her teeth. He grunted in response and she continued to kiss down his neck, letting her hands trail down his bare chest. "Don't you want to stay home with your hot wife all day? We don't even have to get out of bed!"

"As enticing as that sounds," Lucas began, moving her hand away as it reached the top of his boxers. "I told John I'd cover for him today. He has a perfectly good excuse and I couldn't say no."

Brooke's eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms in a huff. "It better be good."

"His wife went into labor last night."

"Fine," Brooke sighed dramatically, flopping back on the queen size bed. The cool air from the open window hit her naked body and she quickly reached for Lucas' oversized shirt on the floor, buttoning every other button. "How long are you gonna be?"

"Hopefully not late," Lucas shrugged vaguely, stealing a quick glance at the time. "I think we have a few new cases coming in and it all depends on how severe they are. Must I remind you how horrible child abuse is?"

"I'm sorry," Brooke whispered shamefully, intertwining their fingers together. Lucas smiled and kissed her forehead, rubbing her back gently when she remained quiet. "We haven't really spent much time together and school starts on Monday so it's the last weekend we have before I have to go into the scary world of adulthood."

"We'll celebrate tonight," Lucas promised, flinging the sheets back over his half-naked body as somebody rapped loudly on their bedroom door. "Who, who the hell is that?"

"Who else would it be on a Saturday morning?" Brooke rolled her eyes, quickly buttoning up the rest of the shirt as the door handle jiggled. "Haley, go away!"

"I told you not to give her a key to the house," Lucas hissed, deciding he wouldn't have any time to make a dash to the bathroom before Haley got the door open. "Brooke's naked in here, go away!"

Haley rolled her eyes and hit the door one more time. "No offense, Luke, but I'm pretty sure I've seen Brooke naked more times than you have."

"What?" Brooke shrugged innocently, patting Lucas' head when he looked at her in shock. This was clearly news to him. "I was drunk half the time anyway. Why else do you think she was so happy when we moved in together?"

After they said it was okay to come in, Haley carefully opened the door a crack, sheepishly peering in to see if they were covered. "Is it safe?"

"Hold on, Lucas has morning wood," Brooke giggled, burying her head into the pillow when both blonde's looked at her in disgust. "Wait, you also live with a boy so you know what that's like. Never mind, you're safe to come in!"

"Is, is the bed clean?" Haley asked cautiously, placing her hand on the edge of the bed until she got a straight answer.

"Not under a black light."

"Brooke!" Haley's nose scrunched in disgust, taking a chance and crawling in between her two friends. She ignored both of their attire and gazed up at the ceiling, letting out sigh after sigh until it annoyed them to the fullest. "Aren't you going to ask me what's wrong?"

"As much as I would love to hear about your problems," Lucas started with a smirk, grabbing his pants off the floor and quickly slipping them on. Haley was like his little sister and the last thing they both wanted to see was him clad in nothing but boxers. "I have to go get ready for work, Hales. I'm sure your cramps will go away soon."

"That's not what I was going to say," Haley pointed out matter-of-factly, snuggling closer to Brooke incase she felt the urge to smack him again. "It's about your brother being a stupid jerk and not coming home last night."

"Shower's calling," Lucas ignored her, leaning over to give Brooke a quick kiss. "See, if this thing keeps up, we won't need to have any kids when we have Haley. She'll just move in with us and this can be like a Saturday morning ritual."

"Ignore him," Brooke told Haley softly when Lucas left the room, turning over on her side to get a better look at the smaller blonde. Her eyes were all bloodshot and she didn't look like she got any sleep. "Maybe he had to work late, Hales…"

"I doubt it," Haley whispered, tugging absently at the sheets covering her legs. Brooke gave her a sympathetic pat on the head and gently ran her fingers through Haley's gorgeous blonde locks. "How come you got the nice, generous Scott brother and I got the bad ass, 'I'm working late' one?"

"Nathan and I are too much alike, we'd definitely clash," Brooke told her lightly, her pretty features softening when Haley didn't make a sound. "Aw, Hales, it'll be okay," she promised, leaning her head against Haley's. "Should I kick his ass?"

Haley let a small smile slip and patted Brooke's knee. "If you can find him then be my guest." Brooke laughed to herself as the two lay in silence, Haley trying to keep her mind off of her distant husband. "My little Brookie's growing up so fast. Are you nervous for Monday? Parent's are actually going to leave you, of all people, in charge of their kids."

"Shut up!" Brooke yelled in mock-offense, a scowl forming on her face when Haley didn't take back her comment. She had a point. "My lesson plan is all ready and I'm going to be the hit of the pre-school class!"

"Better watch out for all those single dads," Haley winked, raising a suggestive eyebrow when Brooke merely scoffed. "God, you're like an old married woman now. If I ever said that to you years ago you'd be jumping for joy."

"Marriage changed me for the better," Brooke told her with a goofy smile, making a face when she heard Lucas jiggling the handle on the toilet. "I can't say the same for Lucas but I like to give him the benefit of the doubt and say it changed him too."

Haley giggled in disbelief and sat up, tossing Brooke's clothes at her. "Since you're up you might as well come downstairs and make me some breakfast."

"You really are like my child, Hales," Brooke playfully rolled her eyes, quickly changing her clothes as Haley turned around out of habit. "Come on my little baby, mommy will make you a nice breakfast and then you can get the hell out of my house."

"Mommy's mean," Haley mumbled under her breath, gently kicking the back of Brooke's leg so her knee would buckle. "Don't make me call DSS and tell them that you're abusing me."

"Ha," Brooke laughed loudly, pushing Haley into the wall. "Too bad for you my husband works for them so he can vouch for me that I don't kick your little behind. Besides, they'd probably think you're crazy and send you to a mental ward."

"Whatever," Haley sang, plopping down in the kitchen chair. "Brooke? Things will get better, right?"

Brooke let out an inaudible sigh and threw two bagels in the toaster, spinning around to see the expectant look on her friend's face. She had two options; lie and tell her best friend since birth that everything was going to be okay or tell her that her husband was an ass and she warned her about him from the beginning.

"Look, Hales," Brooke's voice dropped to a whisper, afraid if she spoke too loud it would upset Haley and send her into a fit of hysterics. She didn't need that, especially at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. "I don't want to lie to you, okay? I, I don't think things will get better with Nathan. How long has this been going on?"

"But," Haley tried to protest, the words suddenly escaping her brain. She had to stop making excuses for her husband and stop denying the fact they were drifting apart. "If I try talking to him he just says he's tired from work and that's it, he walks all over me."

"Don't let him do that to you," Brooke said forcefully, biting her bottom lip when Haley looked taken aback with her tone. "I will not let him mistreat you, alright? Nathan's, Nathan's just in his own little basketball scouting world or whatever and you're the only person who can bring him out of it."

Haley fiddled with her hands and couldn't help but feel jealous when Lucas strolled in. She watched him greet Brooke with another kiss and didn't even care that he stole her bagel. They were so in love and sometimes it made her sick. Nathan wasn't anything like his brother and Haley hated him for that.

"How's she doing?" Lucas whispered when Brooke met him by the sink, pouring himself a glass of orange juice while Brooke spread cream cheese on the bagel. "I think after work I'm gonna go have a talk with Nathan. This can't go on any longer, Brooke."

"Not if I beat you to it," Brooke hissed, her voice low enough just for Lucas to hear. They both watched Haley flip through the paper aimlessly and Lucas felt his heart drop that Haley's unhappiness was due to his brother. "But you have a nice day at work and I'll take care of her for now. Peyton's taking Jenny shopping for school and I promise I'd tag along to make sure she doesn't give the kid an emo backpack or anything."

Lucas chuckled and pushed the half-eaten bagel to Brooke, giving her a small kiss as he got his briefcase ready for work. "Luke, wait," she pulled him back, glancing up into his blue eyes. "If you find him beaten to a bloody pulp I'm going to need an alibi."

"I got you covered," Lucas promised, brushing the hair out of her face before turning on his heel. He ruffled Haley's hair when he past her and hoped the best for her. "I'll see you later Hales and make sure Brooke doesn't spend too much money at the mall."

"We're going to the mall?" Haley asked as Lucas shut the back door behind him, thanking Brooke when she placed the bagel in front of her.

"I told Jenny I'd help her pick out a backpack for Monday."

"Jenny going to school makes me feel so old," Haley made a face. "It seems like yesterday Peyton was walking around yelling at everyone who got in her way."

"That was yesterday," Brooke giggled, getting up when the coffee pot was ready. "After this I'll go shower and then we can drag your pouty ass around the mall with us. It'll be fun and if you're a good girl, I'll buy you something nice."

--

Jenny excitedly tugged on Peyton's hand as they browsed the school supply aisle in Target, jumping up and down when they came to the backpacks.

"I want this one!" the little blonde girl shrieked, letting go of Peyton's hand to grab the very last pink Barbie backpack on the shelf. "Mommy, isn't it perfect?"

"Oh, yes," Peyton made a face, a fake smile forming on her face when Jenny looked up at her in disbelief. "It's very pretty, Jen."

"Aw, remember when Peyton was so anti-Barbie?" Brooke teased, laughing harder when Jenny gasped and her eyes widened into saucers. "The Barbie hatred must've skipped a generation, thank god."

"I was never anti-Barbie," Peyton pointed out matter-of-factly, grabbing hold of Jenny's hand once they started walking again. "I was more of anti-let's make Barbie, Ken and Skipper have a threesome!"

Jenny stopped walking, pulling on her mother's hand again. "What's a threesome?"

"Something you should never have," Brooke cut Peyton off, ruffling the little girl's hair affectionately. Haley snorted from behind Brooke and winced when the brunette stomped on her foot. "Shush you. Don't listen to your silly mommy, we never did that."

"Oh, we so did," Haley corrected, laughing along with Peyton. "I remember one time you put them all on top of each other and then you took Barbie's clothes off and-"

"Moving on," Peyton hissed, removing her hands from Jenny's little ears. "Wait, wait! If I remember it correctly we actually learned it from your sisters, Hales. For once in Brooke's life she didn't make us do something dirty."

"Ha!" Brooke grinned in triumphant, throwing shampoo and conditioner into the cart. "I can't remember who suggested we try that but remember we were so confused? How is a 6 year old supposed to know what a blow job is?"

"And you guys wonder why I'm so emotionally scarred," Haley muttered, tossing a huge bag of chips into the shopping cart. "What? I'm having a bad day."

"Story of your life," Brooke and Peyton smiled in unison, patting the smaller blonde's head when she pouted. "Aw, you know we love you Baby Haley."

"Me too!" Jenny squealed, pushing at Haley's leg incase she didn't hear her. "I bet I love you so much more than they do! I don't make fun of you either!"

"That's why you're my favorite," Haley giggled, bending down to Jenny's level. She nearly fell over when the little blonde gave her a tight hug and clung to her neck when she stood back up. "And you going to school makes me feel so old."

"Speak for yourself," Peyton grumbled, taking Jenny from Haley's arms. "I can't believe my little baby's growing up." Brooke rolled her eyes at the hallmark moment and gave Peyton a gentle push forward. "You're already 4 and pretty soon your Auntie Haley's gonna be 24."

"That's old," Jenny wrinkled her nose, giggling when Peyton looked surprised. "How old are you and Auntie Brooke, mommy? 40?"

"I am not 40!" Brooke practically screamed in disbelief, grunting when Haley laughed from behind her. Jenny continued to howl with laughter and she squirmed in Peyton's arms as she tickled her sides. "Sweetheart, if we're 40, you'd be…"

"An adult," Peyton told her in horror before setting her down to the ground. "Auntie Brooke and I are already 24. Haley was always slower than us." Haley laughed sarcastically and proceeded to throw more junk food in the cart. "I don't know what kind of problem you're having, but when you eat yourself obese I'll kick myself for not stopping you. Give me the chips."

Brooke shook her head and pulled Peyton back when Haley pushed the cart forward with Jenny right on her heels. "She's having a Nathan problem." Peyton's mouth formed an 'o' shape and she didn't know what to say. "Yeah, she showed up this morning at 8 saying he never came home last night. Lucas is gonna try talking to him but it won't help."

"Yeah," Peyton whispered empathetically, also feeling bad for having a wonderful marriage to Jake. Sure they had problems but they always worked them out for the sake of Jenny. "I bet he had to work late. Isn't basketball season coming up?"

"Don't defend him," Brooke snapped, turning her frown into a smile when Haley turned around at her little outburst. "Look at what he's doing to her, Peyton. He's hurting our best friend, no, he's hurting our _sister_. How can you stand here and make excuses for him?"

"Just drop it Brooke," Peyton pleaded, smiling thankfully when Brooke finally relented and gave up with a sigh. "Let's just get out of here, okay?"

"Mommy," Jenny tugged on Peyton's sleeve, eyes traveling to the little girl all alone near the shoe aisle. "How come that girl is alone? Doesn't she have a mommy?"

"Do you think she's lost?" Brooke asked quietly, making her way over to the small brunette before either Peyton or Haley could answer. "Hey, sweetie," she began slowly, her heart breaking when she was met with the small girl's fearful eyes. "Are you lost?"

She didn't expect an answer and wasn't surprised when the girl let out a tiny whimper and cowered back in fear, knocking into a few shoes that came crashing down. "It's okay, it's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you," Brooke whispered, trying to remain calm when tears streamed down the child's face. "Who are you here with?"

"My mommy," the girl sniffled, her voice barely above a whisper. "She told me I was being a bad girl so she was gonna leave me in the store." Brooke swallowed past the lump in her throat and reached out to rub the girl's arm, pulling back when she whimpered again. "Don't hurt me."

"I'm not going to hurt you," Brooke's voice cracked, bending down to one knee. "How old are you?" Her heart dropped to her feet when the girl held up four fingers shyly and peered down at the ground. "What's your name, honey?"

"There you are!" a woman yelled from behind Brooke, startling the two brunettes completely. Brooke stood up to her feet and got out of the woman's way just in time as she violently grabbed the child's arm. "I told you not to wander off! Do you not listen to anything I say?"

"Hey, calm down," Brooke tried to intervene, balling her hand into a fist when the older woman scoffed loudly. She reeked of cigarette smoke and if Brooke didn't know any better she was definitely on something. "Kids wander off all the time…"

"I didn't ask for your opinion," the woman hissed, pulling her daughter's arm again when she tried to break free. Her hair was in a ratty bun and the lipstick she thought made herself look attractive was smeared all over her face along with the blue eye shadow. "This is clearly none of your business so I'd appreciate it if you kept your mouth shut."

"Yelling is not going to help," Brooke tried to reason with her, putting her arm out to say something as the woman began to yank the adorable girl by her arm. "You're, you're going to hurt her if you keep doing that."

"Mind your business," the older woman snapped, grabbing a fist full of her daughter's long hair.

"Mommy, I'm sorry!"

"I've had it up to here with you," the mother continued to yell, sending glares to everyone in the store that looked at her in shock. "You've caused enough trouble for today so when we get home you're going straight to bed. Don't even ask about dinner because you've lost that privilege."

Jenny let out a tiny cry and held up her arms, burying her head into the crook of Peyton's neck when she picked her up instantly. "Why was that mommy so mean?"

"I don't know, baby," Peyton soothed her trembling body, rocking her back and forth as Haley carefully went to check on Brooke.

"It's okay," she whispered, trying to pry Brooke away from the now vanished mother and daughter. "Brooke, come on," she tried, pulling on the brunette's arm a bit before giving her a comforting hug around the middle.

"How could any just mistreat their child like that?"

"I don't know," Haley shrugged, her face falling when Brooke looked visibly upset. "If it makes you feel any better I retract my previous statement about you being a mean mother…"

"Whatever," Brooke scoffed, bumping Haley's shoulder a bit as she stormed out of the aisle and out of sight.

--

"Hi, this is Nathan. I'm either not here or I'm just ignoring your call because I hate you. Leave me a message and if I like you, I'll get back to you."

Lucas cursed loudly and banged his fist against the table as he proceeded to leave his brother a fifth voice mail that day. "Dude, answer your god damn phone. I don't know how many times I have to say this to you man. Either you start treating your wife better or I'll be forced to sic Brooke on you. And trust me; you do not want to go there."

He threw the phone down on the counter in frustration, picking at the carton of Chinese food he had picked up for him and Brooke on the way home. A smile came to his face when he heard the front door open but it soon faded away when his usually perky wife came rushing into the kitchen with tears streaming all down her face.

"Brooke? What happened?"

"It was horrible," Brooke choked back her sob, burying her face into Lucas' shoulder as he ran a comforting hand up and down her back. "We were in Target and there was this little girl…she was lost, Luke, and her mother, her mother was so mean to her when she found her."

"Oh," Lucas sighed, knowing how sensitive Brooke got when it came to children. They'd been trying for a few months to have kids and no matter how many doctors' orders they followed; they couldn't seem to get pregnant. He could never talk about work with her, knowing all too well she'd get teary eyed when she heard about another child being removed from a broken home. "I'm sure she was having a bad day."

"But you should have seen her," Brooke sniffled, leaning back a bit to look her husband clear in the eye. She was still shaking violently and snuggled into Lucas' embrace when he led her to the couch. "She had this, she had this rage in her eyes and she was pulling at her arm so hard. She was 4, Lucas, the little girl was 4!"

"Ssh, ssh," he tried comforting her, rubbing her stomach gently as she desperately tried to get herself to calm down and remove the memory from her brain. "I know it's a sad thing to see but there are people like that in this world."

"They shouldn't be allowed to have children," Brooke hissed, absently playing with Lucas' tie as it hung in front of her face. "They should be locked up forever and never get to see the light of living day again."

Lucas nodded his head in agreement and let his hand slip up her shirt a little, rubbing it against the bare flesh in hopes of calming her down. Brooke welcomed the contact and rested her head against his chest, inhaling the comforting scent of his cologne.

"How was your day?"

"I think it's best we don't talk about it," Lucas laughed slightly, pressing a kiss against her head. Brooke closed her misty hazel eyes and sighed when Lucas' hand moved down to her thigh. "Where's Haley?"

"She went home," Brooke mumbled, intertwining their fingers together. "Did you get to talk to Nathan at all today? I tried calling him but he never answered; asshole."

"Same here," Lucas said, shaking his head at his brother's antics. He had a long talk with him when he and Haley got married a year ago, warning him that if he ever did anything to hurt Haley on purpose, he'd beat the living crap out of him. "They'll work things out, they always do, Brooke. Nathan's just stubborn and once he realizes he's being an ass, it'll all be okay."

Brooke was too tired agree and snuggled further into Lucas' arms, trying to get her mind off the horrific scene in the store today. No matter how many times she tried thinking of other things, it always came back to the scared little girl.

"When, when I went to rub her arm, she said don't hurt me."

"Brooke," Lucas bit back his groan, running his hands through her hair. "She was probably just scared. She's obviously going to say that to a complete stranger."

After a pause, Brooke finally decided he was right. "Yeah…I guess so."

"I bought us some Chinese," Lucas smiled, hooking his arm underneath her legs to carry her into the kitchen. "I believe the Peking ravioli's are calling your name."

"My favorite, good boy," Brooke smiled, tugging at his tie a bit before he set her down in the kitchen chair. She anxiously began to pile the food on her plate and looked up at Lucas smugly when he poured her a glass of wine. "Are you trying to get me drunk?"

"We'll see how the night goes," Lucas winked, taking whatever was left from the carton. Brooke's appetite was bigger than her stomach and he knew was probably going to be finishing what was left on her plate. "So, are you nervous for Monday?"

"A bit," Brooke said in between bites, taking a large gulp of wine. "But how hard is it to teach 4-year olds? We'll have nap time and I can sneak off and do my own thing."

Lucas laughed and shook his head at how convinced Brooke sounded. "You can't just leave them all alone while they nap, Brooke. You have trouble taking care of Jenny for the day, how are you going to handle 15 kids?"

"I'll manage somehow," Brooke smiled confidently, polishing off the rest of her drink. "And in my defense, Jenny is a hyperactive child, her own parents can barely take care of her for the day," she giggled, shrugging when Lucas looked a bit surprised. "I'll be fine, I promise. I can't wait for the first show and tell so you can come in and I can show off my hot husband."

"Should I bring a body guard to fend off all the love struck 4-year olds?" Lucas joked, moving over a bit to dodge Brooke's wild hand. "I'm sure you'll make a great teacher. Who knows, they might never want to leave the classroom."

"Hey, if they're not out by 5, I'm gone," Brooke flashed her infamous dimples, carefully placing her plate in the dishwasher when she as finished. "I'm gonna go relax for a bit, okay?"

Lucas nodded and pulled her back once she walked past, gently sitting her in his lap when she looked down expectantly. "You'll be okay, right? There's no reason to get upset again about the little girl, I'm sure she's fine. I don't want you losing sleep over it."

"Yeah, I'll, I'll be fine," Brooke forced a smile, silently cursing him for bringing the subject up again. It was out of her head all throughout dinner and even though Lucas was probably right, she couldn't get the scared little girl's face out of her mind. "You should know better than I do about this. I mean it is your job after all."

"Like I said, I'm sure she's fine," Lucas repeated again, pressing a kiss against her temple. He allowed her to pick off his plate and rubbed a comforting hand up and down her trembling arm. "Brooke, it's okay."

"Do you think we'll ever have a baby?" Brooke asked quietly, her voice so broken that Lucas made an effort to hold her tighter. "We've been trying for almost a year and nothing's worked. Do you think there's something wrong?"

"No," Lucas assured her with a kiss, smoothing out the creases in his pants when Brooke got up from his lap. "It's hard to get pregnant these days, you know…"

Brooke lifted her head a bit, a small smile on her face. "I'm gonna go call Haley and see if Nathan came home." Lucas stayed in place, knowing if he went after she'd tell him to go away and they'd get into a fight.

Brooke climbed the stairs two at a time, collapsing on the oversized bed once she reached the nicely decorated room. The tears fell down her cheeks and no matter how hard she tried, she could not get the picture of the frightened girl out of her mind.

"_Mommy, I'm sorry!"_

"_You've caused enough trouble for today so when we get home you're going straight to bed. Don't even ask about dinner because you've lost that privilege."_

"God, stop," she cried, burying her head into her pillow as the scene from earlier played over and over again in her head.

Her frequently absent parents weren't the greatest either but they never once raised their voice at her, they never once told her she couldn't have dinner and they certainly never grabbed her arm so tight that it would leave a few marks. This little girl was about to change Brooke's life and if only she knew what she was getting into from the beginning.


	2. Ignorant To All The Symbols

**An: Wow, you guys are amazing! I wasn't expecting that many reviews so it means a lot that you all like this story. I know it's a bit different and I can assure you there will be no breaking up or cheating between Brooke/Lucas :) I'm not going to really focus on NH that much but there will be plenty of BH as always, heh. Here's chapter 2 and please tell me what you think!**

--

"Lucas!" Brooke yelled at the top of her lungs, tossing shirt after shirt out of the drawers and onto the bed. "Lucas Eugene Scott! I swear to god if you don't get your ass up in here .2 seconds we will never-"

"What?" Lucas ran into the room out of breath, raising his eyebrows at all the clothes strewn out across the room. Brooke stood half-naked in front of him, hands on her bare hips as a pout formed on her face. "Sweetie, you can't go to work naked."

"I don't have anything to wear!" she whined, rummaging through her closet to find the perfect pair of shoes to go with her skirt. "I need to make an impression! These little kids are mine for the next nine months and if they think I have a horrible fashion sense then there's no point of me going back tomorrow."

Lucas chuckled and pulled the white blouse off the bed, dangling it in front of her face like he found something she was searching for all her life. Brooke took it into consideration and slipped it on, admiring it in the mirror.

"Sometimes I love having a metro sexual husband," Brooke giggled, leaning up to give Lucas a peck on the cheek. "How's this look?"

"Very nice," Lucas said with a nod, a scowl forming on his face when he finally let Brooke's first comment sink in. "Now it doesn't bother me that you've left the shirt unbuttoned, totally fine by me, but I don't think the school board allows you to show up to school like that."

"Oh, be quiet," Brooke rolled her eyes, quickly buttoning the blouse. She smoothed out the creases and made sure her bra wasn't visible like it used to be back in her high school days. "Do I look like a teacher? I mean, should I wear my fake glasses? Wear my hair in a tight bun and carry a ruler around?"

"You look fine, Brooke," Lucas assured her, the pad of his thumb brushing her left cheek gently. He grimaced when he got blush on it and wiped it on the side of his pants in typical male fashion. "The kids are going to love you. If not, I can get a police buddy of mine to threaten them until they do."

"I'll pass, thanks," Brooke scrunched up her nose, holding up two perfume bottles that she retrieved from her dresser. "Okay, choose; Burberry London or the ever classy and surprisingly not trashy, Curious by Britney Spears?"

"She makes perfume?" Lucas wondered in surprise, taking the funky looking shaped bottle and smelling it. "Nah, I don't like this one. Who knows, one of these kids could have a K-Fed like dad and the last thing I need is to compete with a white trash gold digger."

"Maybe I should stop asking you these questions," Brooke stated slowly, grabbing the bottle out of Lucas' hands and putting it back on the dresser. Lucas nodded with a laugh and checked his reflection in the mirror, frowning when his tie came undone. "Can't you be like normal guys and just buy a clip-on? It's so much easier, dear."

"Because, _dear_," Lucas mocked, fiddling with the red tie until it was to his liking. "My mother raised me right and she'd beat me if I ever went against 25 years of arguing and fighting 'til the death until I gave in and wore a real tie."

"…okay," Brooke sighed playfully, wrapping her arms around his waist and taking in the signature scent that brought such comfort. "I don't think I wanna go," she stuck her bottom lip out, burying her head into Lucas' chest. "Don't make me go."

"You'll be fine," Lucas stressed, kissing the top of her head while running a comforting hand up and down her back. "The kids are going to love you and I bet I'm going to have to put up a fight with each and every one of them to get you home on time."

Brooke laughed slightly and groaned when her time at home was running out. "I have to go soon. Supposedly I'm supposed to be there before the kids and blah, blah, blah."

"I've got ten minutes," Lucas pointed out suggestively, his hands already undoing the buttons on her blouse. Brooke tried to protest but it got lost and came out as an incoherent mumble when her lips came in contact with her husband's.

--

With a confident grin on her perfectly made up face, a nostalgic feeling formed in the pit of Brooke's stomach as she slowly walked down the halls of the pre-school wing at Tree Hill Elementary, remembering her first day of school perfectly. Her mother allowed her to dress herself and Brooke wished she had stopped her when she pulled on her pink tutu and a tiara, completing her outfit with a fairy wand.

When she got to class and realized she was the odd one out, her mother received a phone call from the teacher saying she removed all her clothes and refused to put them back on because the other kids thought she was a freak. Peyton kindly offered up her jacket while Haley shyly gave Brooke her extra pair of pants she had incase of an emergency.

"Brooke Davis, I thought I got rid of you for good the day you graduated," a familiar voice said from behind, startling her out of her pre-school days. "And I certainly never thought I'd see the day where anyone would allow you to get a teaching license."

"Actually, It's Brooke Scott now," Brooke giggled, turning around to face her old high school principal. "Turner, what the hell are you doing here? I told you you'd never be able to get rid of me! Now we're gonna be co-workers!"

"I had enough of high school kids," Turner gestured to his gray hair, shaking his head when Brooke couldn't hold back her giggle.

"So you've decided to run an elementary school? You'll have no hair left by the time this year is over," Brooke pointed out smugly, shifting her bag to her other shoulder. "For once in all the years you've known me, you won't be able to pin this on me!"

"Just get to class, Miss Davis."

"Mrs. Scott," Brooke corrected, flashing her wedding ring in his face. "So, I was looking at the class list and there's a Gracie Turner on there. I'm assuming that's your granddaughter so I'll be sure to give her an A and not tell anyone."

Principal Turner shook his head and finally let a laugh out. "Just like I won't tell the other kids that you're Jenny Jagielski's godmother."

"Deal," Brooke nodded, shaking the nerves out of her system when she finally reached her classroom she had been assigned to. It was right across from the bathroom so she could keep an eye on both the class and the kids who needed a bathroom break at the same time. "Okay, I can do this…"

With a deep breath, Brooke pushed the classroom door open and took in what was going to be her workplace for the next nine months. The previous teacher had left her a whole bunch of decorations and over the summer, Peyton helped her set up. The book shelf was overflowing with children's books, there was plenty of play dough and toys to play with and they even had a pet bunny named Floppy.

She took a seat at the desk and placed her stuff down, anxiously drumming her fingers on her attendance book as she waited for the kids to pile in. There was still a few minutes left to practice what she was going to say but jumped out of her seat when Peyton and Jenny emerged through the door.

"Nervous?"

"No!" Brooke laughed, breathing heavily when Peyton looked at her skeptically. "Oh my god, they're gonna hate me! Please save me!" Jenny giggled as her mother nearly fell over when Brooke came barreling into her arms. "I don't wanna do this."

"Aw, you'll be fine, Brookie," Peyton told her, peeling Brooke's fingers off her one by one. Jenny gave her aunt a tight hug around the middle and patted her back when Brooke continued to whimper softly. "They're a bunch of little kids; they're not going to know if you screw up or not."

"I will," Jenny smiled, hiding behind Peyton when Brooke stomped her foot. "You'll be great, Auntie Brooke! We'll have lots and lots of fun today! Mommy said we get to play Barbie's all day and we, we even have a bunny!"

Brooke forced a tiny smile as other parent's and their kids began to file in, stumbling to greet them as Peyton pushed her forward. Peyton bent down and engulfed Jenny in a tight hug, not letting go when she tried to break free.

"Okay, baby, I'm gonna go," the curly blonde sighed, shaking Jenny back and forth a little until the girl grunted. "Daddy will pick you up at 2:30, okay? You have a good day and I'll see you after school. Make sure Auntie Brooke doesn't let you all run loose."

"Bye, mommy," Jenny smiled, waving shyly as Peyton planted a big kiss on her cheek. She skipped over to the bunny in the cage and looked back to make sure her mother was on her way out the door.

"Good luck," Peyton sang, patting Brooke's head when she looked like she was about to faint. The brunette thanked her quietly and went to go talk to another parent while Peyton took one last look at Jenny before leaving the classroom.

"Excuse me, excuse me," a small voice pulled at her arm, her eyes welling up with tears when Peyton peered down at her. "I'm lost, miss."

Peyton knelt down and flinched when the little girl turned away. "Aw, it's okay. Do you know what class you're supposed to be in?"

"Pre-school," she whispered, taking a chance and looking up at Peyton. "My mommy had to go to work and she didn't have any time to walk me in but I can't read and…"

"It's just this door right here," Peyton stood up, stepping aside when a few parents came out of the classroom. "The teacher just happens to be my best friend so just tell her Peyton said it was okay to go in late."

"Thank you," the girl said quietly, slipping into the door when it opened again. Peyton peered in to make sure she got settled and sent one last wave to Brooke, biting her lip at how anxious she looked.

"H-hi," Brooke stuttered nervously as the kids got settled, fiddling with her hands when they all looked up at her expectantly. "Okay, so, my name is Mrs. Scott but that makes me feel really, really old. To help remind me of my youthful age, you guys can call me Miss Brooke, Brooke, Brookie, whatever you want, as long as it's not Mrs. Scott."

The 15 kids giggled and nodded their head in understanding. Brooke let out a low groan when she sat on the carpet and surveyed all the kids while they seemed to be transfixed by all the things in the room. The mural Peyton painted on one of the walls seemed to catch their attention and Brooke took the time to survey the kids she was going to be teaching for the next nine months.

There were more girls than boys and Brooke tried to mentally decide if the little blonde girl and boy sitting next to each other were twins. They both had the same gestures and expressions and wished she had made name tags so she could decipher who was who. The smallest girl in the class, a girl who looked oddly familiar, caught her eye instantly. The little brunette girl was sitting directly across from her, hands neatly folded in her lap while she gazed at the different swirls in the carpet. Her uneven pony tails made Brooke's heart drop and she couldn't help but notice her shirt was all stretched out and there were two large holes in the knees of her jeans.

"Do you want to go around the room and say your name and something about you?" Brooke finally got out after minutes of silence, hoping the kids would go for this. "Do you want to start?"

"Okay," the boy next to her grinned, springing to his feet. "My name is Kyle and, and my favorite food is pizza with macaroni and cheese on top!" Brooke smiled tightly, the combination making her sick to her stomach. "You're also very pretty, Miss Brooke," he smiled shyly, sitting back down and turning the other way.

"Aw, thank you," Brooke giggled, motioning for the next boy to go.

"I'm Austin," he stated somewhat proudly, his blue eyes twinkling in the light. "I gots an annoying twin sister named Ally who smells and an even more annoying baby sister named Kara."

"She's not annoying," the little girl next to him hissed, Brooke assuming she was Ally. "I love her more than you! She's cute and doesn't pinch me and yell when I don't want to play."

"Cause she doesn't understand English!"

"Does too!"

"Alright," Brooke cut in, shaking her head when the two twins pouted. "Ally, would you like to tell the class something about you too?"

Ally nodded and ran a hand through her hair. "I like to play house with my baby sister and, and I like to play outside with my brother." Brooke nodded with a smile and was eager to hear what the other kids had to say. She held in her laugh when Turner's granddaughter announced her grandpa was the principal, and nearly had a heart attack when Alex said his uncle was Matt Damon. Much to Brooke's dismay, he quickly added in that it was Matt Damon the drycleaner.

"My name's Jenny," the little blonde whispered softly, gazing up at Brooke with a sense of fear in her eyes. Brooke wished she was closer so she could give her a comforting hug but held herself back as Jenny pushed on. "And I just, I just really miss my mommy."

Brooke frowned as Jenny crawled towards her, instantly getting into her lap before she had time to reposition herself. Jenny didn't care that the class was looking at her and felt a little relieved when another little girl crawled beside her.

"I miss my mommy too," Maddy cried, leaning her head into Brooke's free shoulder.

"It's okay," Brooke sympathized with them, squeezing their small bodies before using all her might to stand up. Pretty soon, a few more kids came over with teary eyes and hugged her free legs. Her worst fear was coming true and a tiny whimper escaped her lips when Gracie hugged the front of her waist and Alex hugged the back. "I know you all miss your parents, I did too when I went to school, but we're going to have fun!"

"How?"

"Well, if, if you all let me go," she began nicely, breathing a sigh of relief when she was able to place Maddy and Jenny down on their feet. "We can read a story, or we can play with some of the toys. Tears won't make the day go by faster and I can't guarantee it'll make you stop missing your parents, but can we try?"

Thankfully, the kids all agreed and began to run around the room to the toys. Brooke breathed a sigh of relief when Jenny hugged her around the middle and looked up at her with a smile.

"Thank you Miss Brooke," Jenny giggled with a slight sniffle, wrapping her arms around Brooke's neck when she bent down to get eye level with her. Her eyes traveled to the little girl sitting on the rug all alone and turned Brooke's head to the side. "How come she's all alone? Auntie Brooke, she looks scared."

"Let's go cheer her up," Brooke suggested, grabbing Jenny's hand and looking down at her when Jenny didn't seem to budge. "Sweetie, if you don't come with me I'll be sure to tell this whole class about the cute little birthmark on your butt."

"Mommy was mean for letting you give me a bath," Jenny pouted, dragging behind Brooke as she made her way over to the girl. "Hi," she choked out when Brooke pushed her forward, pulling Brooke's blouse when the small brunette merely looked up.

"Sorry you didn't get to introduce yourself," Brooke whispered with a small smile, kneeling down to sit next to the girl. "What's your name?"

"Maybe she can't hear," Jenny mused, sitting on the opposite side of the girl. "Didn't mommy tell you to stop doing that whisper thingy with your voice? What's your name?" she practically yelled, tapping the girl on the shoulder.

After what seemed forever, the girl looked back and forth between Brooke and Jenny, biting her lip shyly. "I'm, I'm A-Abby."

"Hi, A-Abby," Jenny smiled, making a face when Brooke looked at her sternly. "How come you're whispering?"

"I'm shy," Abby's tone was a bit higher, graciously accepting the Barbie doll Jenny offered her. Brooke tried to suppress her sigh and was glad Jenny seemed like she wanted to play despite her appearance. "Plus, my mommy always yells at me when I talk too loud because it gives her a headache."

"You can talk as loud as you want, there's no need to whisper all the time," Brooke told her sweetly, giving Abby's shoulder a gentle squeeze. She immediately pulled it back when the small girl whimpered, huddling her knees up against her chest. "I'm, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"Wanna be Skipper?" Jenny intervened, gently placing the plastic doll in Abby's trembling hands. She smiled when Brooke kissed the top of her head and did her best to get the smaller girl to open up. "You don't need to be scared. Brooke's really nice."

"She, she won't hurt me?"

"Of course she won't!" Jenny exclaimed, dropping the doll in surprise. "My Auntie Brooke's the nicest lady on the planet! In my 4 years on this earth, I've never ever seen her yell at anyone besides my Auntie Haley when she's having a breakdown."

Abby looked up at Jenny with a shrug, a small smile forming on her face. "Okay."

--

"Mr. Scott, you have a visitor."

Nathan groaned, throwing the manila envelope down. "Tell them I'm not here."

"It's your brother," Nathan's secretary smiled, stepping aside to let Lucas in. Nathan rolled his eyes and leaned back in his chair, watching Lucas take the seat in front of him.

"Shouldn't you be at work?"

"I'm on break," Lucas corrected matter-of-factly, dropping his briefcase down on the leather seat next to him. "Look, dude, I've left you like five messages."

"Ten if you count Brooke's too," Nathan muttered, staring his brother down. He knew why he was here and there was no way out this time. "Look, dude," he mocked, ignoring the glare Lucas had on his face. "My marriage is none of your business."

"Okay, fine, you put yourself in my shoes," Lucas began, holding up his hand when Nathan went to protest. "Imagine Brooke coming over to your house every Saturday morning when I don't come home. Imagine, imagine your wife leaving the minute she gets a phone call from her best friend saying she can't find her husband and imagine-"

"Alright, I get it."

"No, I don't think you do," Lucas snapped, leaning forward to look his brother straight in the eye. "God, Nathan, what is your problem? What are you so wrapped up in that you don't even have the decency to call your wife and let her know you're going to be late? Brooke has stayed up with Haley so many nights because she can't find you and your cell phone is frigging turned off!"

"Why don't you mind your own damn business?" Nathan yelled back, pounding his fists down on his mahogany desk angrily. "I've been fucking busy! You know how tough scouting season is! Especially the guy you've been after all summer is thinking of signing with UNC instead of Duke. Why don't you run along and go save another kid from being smacked in the head by their deadbeat parents?"

Lucas scoffed, grabbing his briefcase and springing to his feet. "So, now you're mocking what I do? That's classy, Nathan, really classy. Let me tell you something," his voice dropped to a low whisper, leaning across the desk. "No matter how many high school kids you sign to the basketball team will never measure up to how many kids I rescue."

"I'm sorry, man," Nathan tried to apologize, standing up as he started to pace. "If this kid signs with UNC then I'll be screwed and I could lose my job. Haley trusts me to take care of her and if I get fired, we'll be in a lot of deep shit."

"Just next time you're gonna be late, could you at least call her?" Lucas relented, releasing the tight grip he had on his briefcase. "You know, just in case you've forgotten how nasty Brooke can be when it comes to her Baby Haley getting hurt."

"Yeah, man," Nathan sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I'm getting out early so I'll be sure to stop by and give my precious little sister-in-law an earful about not killing any kids today."

Lucas chuckled, warning him that he wasn't going to stop Brooke when she came at him.

--

"So, remember we'll have show and tell on Friday!" Brooke called out to the kids as they all anxiously ran out the door to meet their parents. She was still left with Jenny and Abby but knew Jake was probably stuck in traffic coming from Charlotte. "Hey, so girls, did, did you guys have fun today?"

"You were great, Auntie Brooke!" Jenny told her with a smile, jumping into Brooke's arms when she walked towards her. "You're definitely the best teacher ever! And mommy's gonna be so happy that Auntie Haley owes her twenty bucks!"

"What?" Brooke exclaimed, shaking Jenny from side to side when she didn't talk. "Did they bet on how I was going to do today?"

"Maybe," Jenny sang, pinching Brooke's cheeks when she didn't look amused. "Okay, okay! Auntie Haley bet mommy that by the end of your first day working, you'd either lose a kid or they'd run out the door and never come back."

"Ha," Brooke stuck her tongue out, giving Jenny's sides a tickle before she placed her back down on her feet. "You wait till I see mommy and Auntie Haley later on. I'm just gonna say a little birdie told me what they bet on."

"No!" Jenny squealed, stomping her feet when Brooke nodded. "Then mommy's gonna yell at me for telling you! I promised I wouldn't tell, you can't say anything!"

Abby slowly made her way over to Brooke and yanked on her arm. "Miss Brooke you can't let Jenny's mommy hurt her! It, it won't be nice," she whimpered, turning back around to face Jenny. "I don't want her to get hurt."

"Sweetie, her mom's not gonna hurt her," Brooke assured the little girl, smoothing the hair out of her face. Her lopsided pigtails had fallen apart at lunch but Brooke was too afraid to fix them for her. "I won't say anything, I promise."

"Okay," Abby sniffled, going back to peer out the window for her mother.

Jenny looked up at Brooke in confusion but was cut off when Jake came through the door in a huff. "Sorry, I'm late," he apologized, catching Jenny in his arms when she ran towards him in excitement. "Traffic was a nightmare and hey, baby, how was your first day of school?"

"I survived, didn't I?" Jenny giggled, tilting her head back to send a sweet smile Brooke's way. Jake snorted and helped Jenny gather her stuff, slipping her coat on after she was all settled. "Daddy, Auntie Brooke's a really great teacher!"

"Surprise, surprise," Jake teased, patting Brooke's head when she scowled. "Well, Brookie, you survived the first day, how does it feel?"

"Pretty good if I do say so myself," Brooke couldn't help but brag, shooting Jake a smug look when he shook his head in amusement. "You take your little tattle tale home and tell your wife I have a bone to pick with her later."

"Will do," Jake laughed, watching as Jenny ran to the brunette girl near the window. "At least she made a friend, huh? Peyton was worried and I spent my lunch break trying to convince her not to come down here and tell all the kids Jenny's a great girl."

"That woman is not allowed in this classroom anymore," Brooke finalized, crossing her arms when Jake couldn't think of any excuses for his wife. "The faster you get out of here, the faster I can leave and go home to my husband!"

"Bye, Abby," Jenny tapped the girl on the shoulder, raising her eyebrows in confusion when her new friend flinched before turning around. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Okay, bye," Abby whispered, giving the blonde a shy wave before climbing the chair again to look out the window. "Thanks for playing with me today, Jenny." The taller girl smiled and skipped back over to Jake, leaving Abby alone with Brooke.

"Do you think your mommy's going to be here soon, Abby?" Brooke asked in concern, taking careful steps to her shyest student. She smiled faintly when Abby just shrugged her shoulders and didn't meet her gaze. "Should we try calling her?"

"I don't know her number," Abby told her quietly, steadying herself in the chair before she turned around to face Brooke. "I'm sorry, Miss Brooke."

"Oh, honey, it's no problem," Brooke said, looking out the window to see if there was any sign of Abby's mother anywhere. "Did you like your first day of school?"

"Thank you for having Jenny play with me, I really like her," Abby smiled, fingering with the hem of her stretched out shirt. She looked up at Brooke and let out a tiny laugh when she noticed her dimples. "How come you have holes in your cheeks?"

Brooke laughed and leaned up against the window sill, keeping her hands out just incase the chair gave out and the girl fell off of it. "They're called dimples, silly. It's actually a deformity but you probably don't even know what that word means."

"No, sorry," Abby apologized, pulling at her messy hair. "Miss Brooke? Will you fix my pigtails, please? This morning my mommy was in a rush and they came out bad."

"Sure, sweetie," Brooke smiled, carefully pulling the elastic's out of her hair. Once she was finished, she carried Abby over to the mirror near the dress-up bin to get a look at her new hair. "How's that look?"

"It's perfect, thank you," Abby said with a smile, snuggling into Brooke's arms after she gave her back a gentle pat. "Jenny's lucky to have a fun aunt like you. I just have my mommy and my nana sometimes too."

"Yeah, she's alright," Brooke joked, pushing the girl up on her hip when she didn't seem to want to get down. "You know, I think you're the only person today who didn't cry because they missed their mom."

Abby smiled and shyly stuck her thumb in her mouth. "I never miss my mommy."

"Oh," Brooke whispered, a bit taken aback at how confident she sounded. "I never really missed my mom either when I went to school. What's your mom like?"

"Scawy," Abby's voice was muffled by her thumb while she buried her face into the crook of Brooke's neck. Brooke swallowed past the lump in her throat and coughed when Abby's grip around her neck tightened. "I, I like you a lot Miss Brooke."

Brooke felt a horrible feeling form in the pit of her stomach and snapped out of her daze when a loud beep came from outside. Abby slid down her body and ran to the window, rushing over to where her backpack hung on the hook.

"Is your mom here?"

"A-huh," Abby nodded, quickly throwing her coat on her tiny body. She was halfway out the door and stopped short, walking back over to Brooke. "My, my mommy didn't mean to yell at me, she didn't mean to hurt me."

Brooke turned around in confusion, her heart pounding against the chest. "What?"

"In, in the store," Abby's voice dropped back to her usual whisper, glancing down at the ground when Brooke remembered the incident at Target. "And, and I knew you weren't going to hurt me."

"Oh-" Brooke began to say, stopping when Abby quickly hugged her legs and dashed out the door before she could respond.

--

Brooke did her best to suppress the yawn rising in her throat as she made her way up the walkway, her feet shuffling from beneath her. She wanted nothing more than to change into her pajamas and crawl into bed for the rest of the afternoon. Her feet ached from being on them all day and groaned when she saw the living room full of people.

"Get out of my house."

"How did your first day go?" Haley asked happily, shuffling closer to Brooke when she plopped down on the couch. "Lose any kids? Any of them runaway?" She shrunk back in her seat when Brooke rolled her head to the side and glared at her angrily.

"They didn't say anything on the news," Nathan teased, ignoring the looks Lucas was giving him from across the room. "But it was the mid-day news; we'll wait until 6 for the official word whether or not there are any children missing."

"I didn't lose any kids," Brooke snapped, the tone of her voice startling everyone in the room. She propped her elbow up on the arm of the couch and rested her head on it to avoid her husband and two friends. "Look, I appreciate you coming over but I really don't feel like having company."

"Is everything okay?" Lucas asked in caution, leaning against the arm when Brooke shook her head like a petulant child. Haley patted her arm in comfort while Nathan cursed and took his ringing phone into the other room. "What happened, honey?"

Brooke sighed and stood up to her feet, locking eyes with her concerned husband. "That girl…that little girl from Target's in my class. She told me that her mother didn't mean to yell at her and that she knew I would never hurt her."

"Oh, Brooke," Haley whispered, leaning over the couch to give Brooke a side hug. Lucas did the same and could feel his wife's tears against his neck. "I'm sorry."

"It's just every time I look at her I'm going to remember that day and she's just shy and tiny and she just, she just flinches every time you try to touch her," Brooke explained, her voice muffled by Lucas' shoulder. "Her eyes, her eyes are so full of fear when you try to talk to her and her voice is barely a whisper."

Nathan walked back into the room and felt awkward as he stood of to the side. "Brooke, I'm sorry but I have to get back to work. Um, congratulations on your first day and I'll see you later."

"Thanks, Nathan," Brooke laughed, wiping her eyes with the back of her sleeves before giving him a tight hug. "Take your wife with you, she'll just, she doesn't need you walking out on her again."

"Alright," Nathan promised, pulling back before lifting his petite wife off the couch. "I have to get back to work for a few hours but later on we'll go grab dinner, okay? We'll talk and I'll see if I can cut back my hours."

"Okay," Haley smiled, closing her eyes when Nathan pressed a kiss against her temple.

Brooke and Lucas breathed an inaudible sigh of relief and were relieved that once again Nathan and Haley were able to work out their problems. "I'll meet you out in the car."

"Bye," Nathan waved, slipping out the door to escape another lecture.

Haley went over to Brooke and pushed Lucas' hand off her shoulder before standing on her tip toes to wrap her best friend in a tight hug. "First, thanks for talking to Nathan and second, if you need anything, call me."

"Thanks, Hales," Brooke sniffled into her blonde hair, holding Haley tighter when she tried to break free. "And I also know about that little bet with Peyton you brat."

"Sorry," Haley giggled, slapping Brooke's cheek lightly. "Just because you asked so nicely, I won't give Peyton her money anymore as long as you protect me from her when she comes running after me."

"Promise," Brooke laughed, giving Haley one last hug before letting her go. "I won't let her go near you, Baby Haley, I swear. Lucas will give her a good beat down."

"No, no," Lucas shook his head in defense. "I take no part in the Peyton beat down. Would you be able to live with yourselves when I go to jail? They'd deem me the woman beater and I'd probably get killed."

"I'll speak at your funeral," Brooke teased, kissing his lips when he didn't look happy. Haley hit his shoulder lightly when she walked past, rolling her eyes when Nathan honked the horn impatiently. "I survived my first day, aren't you proud?"

"Very," Lucas smiled, engulfing her in a huge hug. Brooke laughed against his shoulder and smiled contently when Lucas ran his fingers through her hair. "I am so proud that I am gonna make you a nice dinner and then we can…"

"Why don't we just have sex right now?" Brooke suggested huskily, her tongue begging for entrance into her husband's mouth. Lucas tried to resist, moving away when she began to unbutton his shirt. "Luke! You're being a tease."

Lucas laughed and kissed her forehead in response. "I, uh, hold that thought, okay?" Brooke grunted as he escaped into the kitchen when his phone rang, stomping her feet before plopping down on the couch. "Dude, can this wait? I'm in the middle of a very important, a very important meeting."

"I'm sorry, Lucas," his co-worker, Pete sighed, glancing over the file sitting on his desk again. "We need you on this case right away, man. There's a little 4-year old girl being neglected by her drug addicted mother. The grandmother gave us a call, she's practically on her death bed and she wants to rest in peace knowing her granddaughter in good hands."

"Alright, alright, I'll be right down," Lucas gave in, re-buttoning his shirt as Brooke continued to cough loudly from the kitchen. "What's the name?" He quickly scribbled down the name and address and stuffed it into his pocket.

"We don't have enough evidence of neglect so we're gonna have to do some investigating before we jump to conclusions. The grandmother sounded a little whacked out anyway."

"So, she's 4?"

"Yes and she just started school today. I believe she's-"

"Shit," Lucas cursed, biting his lip when Brooke's footsteps could be heard. "I'll be right down, Pete, thanks for calling."

"What's up?" Brooke asked casually, frowning when Lucas' shirt was buttoned. "I took my bra off like three minutes ago and you still haven't come in!"

"I have to go to work," Lucas told her quickly, grabbing his briefcase off the kitchen table as Brooke tried to stop him to get an explanation. "You keep that bra off and I swear when I get home we'll have all the sex in any position you want."

"Lucas, you're, you're kind of scaring me," Brooke whispered, slinging her arms around his neck to get him to stop moving. "Is everything okay? You're all frantic and you don't usually get like this unless it's something serious."

"I can't talk to you about this, Brooke," he responded softly, kissing her cheek before he reluctantly pulled back. "You relax from your long day and you can tell me all about it when I get back, sound good? I want to hear about all the kids and what they're like."

Brooke smiled and gave him a small nod, finding it sweet Lucas wanted to know about the kids. He didn't have the heart to tell her it was for completely different reasons and that a young girl's life in her class was at stake if they didn't act fast.


	3. The Lost Art Of Keeping A Secret

**An: Gah, I swear this website hates me. I've been trying to post this since Saturday night. Well, here's the third chapter and I know it's pretty drama free for now, but things will pick up soon, I promise. Thanks so much for the reviews, I didn't expect to get so many this early in.**

--

It had only been five days, but Brooke was beginning to reconsider her profession. Each day something went wrong and she found herself threatening to blow a gasket when no one seemed to listen. The last thing she wanted to do was yell but sometimes their constant yelling and sometimes fighting with each other drove her nuts.

Even show and tell went wrong. She got little sleep the night before due to Karen's excessive calling about her up coming wedding this Saturday. At first, she just called to see if the girls had gotten their dresses, then she called to make sure Lucas shaved his five o'clock shadow and just as Brooke was getting to sleep, she called in hysterics saying she was pregnant. After Karen finally calmed herself, Brooke had to remind her kindly that since she went through menopause the previous year, it probably wasn't possible.

Lucas laughed in amusement at the whole conversation between his wife and mother, dodging various slaps Brooke sent his way when he playfully told Karen that he was thinking of rapping his best man's speech rather than give a plain old speech. Due to Brooke's stress, he kept the rest of his comments in his head and told her to keep her head up high; she didn't work her pretty little ass off all through college to give up a week in. What would all the people they went to high school with think of her? They were used to Brooke Davis being a screw up and the day she married Lucas, Brooke vowed to throw that girl away and keep her locked up until her death.

"…and I had to fight with the guy behind me for the ball!" Austin exclaimed, nodding his head furiously when his classmate's eyes widened. Brooke stopped her head from lulling forward and pretended to look interested when his gaze found hers. "My dad gave him a good shove and he dropped the ball so I got it!"

The various boys in the class clapped their hands and ran up to the blonde boy, gazing at the old, beaten up baseball. The girls rolled their eyes, not completely understanding what exactly Austin was talking about.

"That's quite a story," Brooke forced a smile, admiring the ball when Austin presented it to her with a toothy smile. "Thanks for sharing, buddy."

"Do you have a husband?"

Brooke's eyebrows rose in somewhat amusement, nodding her head slightly. "I do, yes."

"Man!" Austin stomped his foot, a scowl forming on his face. "Do you plan on breaking up anytime soon?"

"No," Brooke laughed, giving his blonde hair a gentle ruffle. Austin let out a dramatic sigh and plopped down on the rug dramatically, throwing his precious baseball into his Spiderman backpack. "Alright," she held in her excitement as she glanced at the clock, only one minute left in the day. "Okay, everyone have a nice weekend and I'll see you all Monday."

She was thankful most of the kids' parents always showed up early and kept her head from hitting the desk as they all scrambled out in a hurry. Jenny trailed behind and got ready as quickly as possible, remembering Peyton telling her over and over again that she needed to be ready so they could go to Karen and Keith's wedding rehearsal dinner.

"Ready!" the little girl exclaimed, patting Brooke's arm when she was in a daze. "Auntie Brooke! Come on, mommy says we have to go right away."

"I know, I know," Brooke sighed, rising to her tired feet. Just like every day this week, Abby was the last person to leave and Brooke didn't think she could deal with this today at all. "Abby, sweetie, I don't mean to sound like a bad person, but I really can't wait around for your mother to come today."

"You're going to leave me alone?" Abby blinked, her lips quivering when Brooke hastily grabbed her things. "I'll be good! I promise, I promise, just don't leave me."

"I'm not going to leave you," Brooke promised with a sigh, patting Abby's hair when she clung to her left leg. Jenny grabbed her friend's stuff and waited somewhat impatiently when Abby didn't let go. "We're just going to have to wait outside, okay?"

"Come on," Jenny whispered, interlocking her tiny hand with Abby's. "I have to wait too but I can't wait too long! I need to be a flower girl later tonight!"

"You're only the flower girl Saturday," Brooke corrected, rushing the girls out the door as she quickly locked the classroom door and made the two walk in front of her. "You two sit right here on the steps and I'm just gonna make a quick phone call."

Jenny and Abby nodded their heads as Brooke jogged down the steps, digging through her oversized purse to find her cell phone. After pushing aside tubes of lip gloss and mascara, she finally retrieved it and dialed Lucas' number.

"Pick up, pick up," she mumbled, tapping her foot impatiently. When his voicemail came on, she cursed softly and ignored the automated voice telling her the Cingular customer she was trying to reach was not available. "Hi, it's me. Look, I don't know where you are, but I'm probably going to be late because I have a girl whose mother comes hours after school gets out so can you tell your mom that? Thanks…oh, I love you, bye."

"Do you think she'll be long?" Brooke asked, trying not to lose her patience as Abby gave her a shy shrug. Jenny looked at Brooke expectantly and gestured to her wrist, as a sign to hurry up. "Can you go wait with Principal Turner? I really have to be somewhere really soon."

"Can't she just come with us?"

It was times like these where Brooke wished Jenny had inherited Jake's laid back personality rather than Peyton's loud, say whatever pops in her head, mouth.

"I, uh," Brooke tried to come up with something to say, feeling bad when both girls looked excited at the idea. "What if your mom comes the second we leave? I think, I think we can wait a few more minutes."

"Okay," Abby whispered with a small sigh, hugging her backpack tight to her chest. Brooke gripped the pole tightly before sitting on the step in front of the girls, tilting her head back to send them a small smile. "Where, where are you guys going?"

"Well, my mother-in-law's getting married and we have to make sure everything's all ready for the wedding this weekend," Brooke said, jumping up a bit when she felt her cell phone vibrate. "Hello?"

"So, what's wrong?" Lucas' tired voice came from the other end, waving to the smiling secretary as he passed her on his way out. "I'm running later than I expected and my mom said Keith hasn't gotten there yet."

"Oh," Brooke felt a sense of relief, using the pole to pull herself up. "Lucas? I know, I know you're not supposed to do this but this girl in my class…her mother's always late. I get that's it not my place to even ask you this…"

"Brooke, you know I can't," Lucas cut her off, switching the phone to his other ear while he put his seatbelt on. "If it keeps up then I'll see what I can do, okay? I'm leaving the doctor's now; do you want me to swing by? I'm only a few blocks away."

"I didn't know you had a doctor's appointment today."

Lucas banged the steering wheel, muffling the noise a bit by turning up the radio. "Yeah, it was just a physical so don't worry your pretty little head about it."

"Alright, but tell your mom I'll get there when I can," Brooke got in quickly as he rushed the conversation to the end. She turned the phone off incase Peyton decided to call and bitch about where her daughter was and re-joined the girls. "Abby, sweetie, I'm gonna see if the office has your mom's number, okay? I think we really need to call her."

"Can I call mommy?" Jenny asked quietly, disappearing near the bushes after Brooke turned her phone on and gave it to her in haste.

"Just a few minutes," Abby's small voice cracked, her eyes watering when Brooke tried to hold her ground and shake her head. "No! Please, I don't wanna talk to my mommy! She'll yell and be mean and, and I don't want her to be mean!"

"Calm down, calm down," Brooke soothed her, lifting Abby's trembling figure into her arms. Jenny continued babbling with Peyton on the phone and Brooke was glad she was distracted for the time being. "Sweetie, its okay, we'll wait, I promise."

She rocked her gently back and forth as Abby's arms gradually loosened from around her neck and finally got back down on her feet, a terrible fear washing over her when she heard a car pull up to the front of the school.

"It's okay," Brooke patted her head, smiling when Lucas emerged from the car. "It's just my husband." Abby walked over to Jenny and stood beside her while she watched with a smile as Lucas greeted his wife with a kiss. "You didn't have to come."

"You think I'd rather stay with Bridezilla?" Lucas joked, knowing Brooke was probably going to blackmail him for that later. "Nah, like I said, I was only a few blocks away and I haven't seen Jenny in a few days."

Jenny's eyes widened and she hung up the phone, not even bothering to say goodbye as she ran forward into Lucas' arms. "Uncle Lucas!" she exclaimed happily, Brooke catching her cell phone when it left Jenny's hands. "You promised to play basketball with me! Daddy's easy to beat and I wanna play someone who's good!"

"Prepare to lose," Lucas promised, shaking her a bit before setting her back down. Abby poked her head from behind Brooke's leg, the shy gesture making Lucas smile. He got down to his knee and gave her a small wave. "You must be, Abby?"

Abby nodded and sucked her thumb innocently, eyeing the road as numerous cars passed by them. "You're pretty."

"Thank you," Lucas laughed along with Brooke, reaching out to gently pat her head. "Do you hear that, Brooke? Someone else besides you and my mom think I'm pretty."

"I have to go potty!" Jenny yelled for the block to hear, pulling on Brooke's arm when she didn't seem to pay attention. "Auntie Brooke," she whined, moving her legs around in a dancing motion. "I really have to go!"

"Okay, okay," Brooke grabbed her hand, turning back on her heel when she realized Abby was going to be left alone with Lucas. "I'll be right back, I promise. Just keep an eye on her, okay, Luke?"

Abby sat on the stairs and sighed into her backpack, her blue eyes following Lucas as he took the step below her. "I remember you from the other day with nana."

"That was me," Lucas nodded with a smile, hating himself for lying to Brooke. "And you remembered not to say anything to Brooke, thank you."

"I don't like lying to Miss Brooke," Abby told him sadly, removing her thumb when Lucas looked at her sympathetically. "Lying is bad Mr. Lucas!"

"I know it's bad, sweetie," Lucas nodded, adjusting himself on the step above. "But what we talked about the other day…it's very private. Do you know what that means?" Abby shook her head and flushed in embarrassment. "Well, when you talk about something in private that means you're not supposed to tell anyone."

"Not even mommy?"

Lucas swallowed past the lump in his throat. He was at a cross-road but judging by everything he heard about Abby's mother, it didn't matter she was lying to her.

"Sometimes you just have to keep things to yourself," he told her softly, a surprised look forming on her face when she hugged his arm tightly. "What was that for?"

"Nana says you're going to make things better."

"I'm, I'm going to try my best," Lucas got out after a pause, his heart dropping at how scared she looked at the very mention of her mother. The door opened and Jenny came flying down the stairs, jumping in his lap when he was still looking at Abby. "Whoa, whoa, Jenny, what did I tell you about doing that?"

"Sorry," Jenny giggled, patting his cheek when he looked uncomfortable. "Can we go play in the playground? Please, please, please! We'll be careful!"

"Just be careful," Brooke reiterated with a wink, keeping a watchful eyes as they scampered off to the cheap playground equipment a few feet away. She sat down to Lucas and sighed, resting her head on his shoulder. "Would your mom hate me if I skipped this dinner?"

Lucas laughed, wrapping his arm around her tiny frame. "Yeah, I'd say so. Besides, since you've been such a hard little worker, I'll buy you whatever you want to drink."

"Grey goose on the rocks?"

"Let's not get too crazy," Lucas responded seriously, kissing the side of her head. "So, how it's feel to survive your first week of teaching? The bite marks on your arm are slowly fading away, that's a good sign."

"Yeah, well, I'm giving it a few weeks. Who knows, I could end up with rabies or some other disease," Brooke giggled, a smile gracing her lips when she watched Jenny and Abby chase each other around the swing set. "Doesn't that make you want one? I mean, even though Jenny's a brat, Peyton and Jake are so lucky."

"Someday," Lucas promised, his smile soon turning into a frown when Brooke leaned into him with a wishful sigh.

God, he was going to break her heart one of these days.

--

Brooke glanced in the rearview mirror, her heart melting at how adorable Jenny looked sleeping in the back. Her body was slumped over the booster seat and if she listened closely, she could hear the little girl snoring lightly.

"Let's wait here a bit," Lucas slipped in the passenger seat, startling Brooke out of her thoughts.

"Why?"

"Nathan and Haley are out front arguing."

"Oh," Brooke sighed, craning her neck to see if she could see the two. "Aw, but our days wouldn't be complete if we didn't witness a Naley fight."

"Does it make me a horrible person if I tell Haley's brothers about Nathan and then actually enjoy them kicking his ass?"

Brooke paused, shrugging her shoulders when she came to her conclusion. "Well, um, see, I'd like to say yes, but I'd feel like a hypocrite because seeing that would make my whole entire life. Wait! Are they coming tomorrow?"

"Yeah, they're flying in tonight," Lucas lowered his voice, checking the backseat to make sure Jenny was still sleeping.

"Yay!" Brooke cheered in excitement, slumping down in her seat when Lucas looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "What? They're like my brothers too."

"Brooke," Lucas laughed, running a hand through his hair. "It's no secret that you practically worshipped the ground they walked on growing up."

"It is not my fault Haley has hot brothers!" Brooke hissed in a whisper, slapping her husband's arm when he simply snorted. "And look who's talking! You liked all three of her sisters and cried when Nathan lost his virginity to Taylor."

"I didn't cry!"

"Haley heard you in the bathroom," Brooke stuck her tongue out, swatting his hands away when they tried to come in contact with her stomach. "Alright, do you want to go break up the lover's quarrel or should I?"

Lucas motioned for her to go and kissed her hand when she tried hitting him. Brooke sighed dramatically and got out of the car, taking large steps to where Nathan and Haley were arguing on the steps.

"It's your Uncle's wedding tomorrow! You can't just leave!"

"My job is depending on this!"

"Well, screw your job! For once, why don't you actually say no?"

"Hey, hey, hey," Brooke cut in sweetly, cowering back in fear when both Nathan and Haley sent her death glares. "You two were doing so good this week! What the hell are you fighting about now? And if you say Nathan's job, I'm hitting one of you."

"Mind your business," Nathan snapped in annoyance, sick and tired of Lucas and Brooke's constant meddling in his marriage.

"I haven't minded my own business since I was ten," Brooke shot back, narrowing her eyes when she tried sizing Nathan up. Haley stifled her giggle and turned away, making a face when Nathan stormed back inside. "Are you gonna be okay?"

"I can pretend," Haley laughed sadly, ruffling Brooke's hair when she stuck her bottom lip out. Lucas appeared moments later with a sleepy Jenny and sent her a sympathetic smile, knowing he'd talk to Nathan again. "We actually weren't arguing about his job before but somehow it turned into it. He got pissed because I told Adam and Noah they could stay with us instead of getting a hotel."

"Hey, they can stay with me if it will relieve some of the tension," Brooke winked, laughing when Haley pinched her.

"It really creeps me out that you and Peyton have some sort of crush on my brothers."

Brooke shrugged, trying to find the problem in that. "I'm sure if I had a hot brother, you'd feel the same exact way."

"No, I'd be concerned if you thought your brother was hot," Haley teased, sticking her tongue out when Brooke did the same. "Come on, Brookie, Karen's wondering where her precious daughter-in-law is. Apparently I'm nothing to her now."

"You're just jealous cause I got the better mother-in-law," Brooke said, linking her arm with Haley's as they made their way inside. "How's the pill popper doing anyway?"

"She sends her love from rehab," Haley deadpanned, slipping into one of the empty chairs. She let out a small laugh as Karen looked like she was reprimanding Lucas for being late and pushed over when Peyton joined them.

"Brooke, you might want to go save your husband," Peyton stressed, tilting her head back to see Lucas trying to get a word in with his furious mom. "I'm seriously waiting for her to turn him over her knee and smack his ass dozens of times."

The brunette snorted and skipped over to the scene, pulling Lucas away a bit as Karen's arms flailed in the air. "Karen, it's my fault we're late. One of the girls in my class was late being picked up and Lucas offered to wait."

"Oh, okay," Karen smiled, patting Lucas' shoulder when he stepped behind Brooke. "Oh, you're just lucky you have such a wonderful wife to save you from these things. How's school going, Brooke?"

Lucas took this as the perfect opportunity to slip away and found Keith talking to Jake, cradling Jenny in his arms as she slept. "So," the older man began, patting the chair next to him when Lucas came over. "Are you going to make me a grandfather anytime soon?"

The blonde laughed in spite of himself. "Soon enough, I promise."

"Good," Keith nodded in approval. "I've always wanted to be one of those young grandfather's who everyone thinks I'm still in my thirties. I'm serious, Luke. I ran into Junk's father the other day and he's already got four kids. Four!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying," Lucas held up his hands in defense, looking at Jake for some help.

"They really are," Jake nodded, stroking Jenny's hair softly as she began to stir. "You're not allowed to come over or call between the hours of six and eight. Brooke will chop your balls off if you do and trust me; I've seen and heard her sharpening the knives."

"Daddy?" Jenny wiped the sleep out of her eyes. "Can I be the flower girl yet?"

"Not yet," Jake laughed, placing a kiss on her forehead. "Tomorrow, baby. Did going to school wear you out today? Or is it because mommy fell asleep before putting you to bed and you thought it was okay to stay up and watch Dora?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jenny yawned, climbing off Jake's lap before he asked anymore questions. She made her way over to Peyton and frowned when she was talking about 'boring' things. "Mommy, today in school," she cut Haley off with a sweet smile, crawling into Peyton's lap. "I made you a pretty picture but I forgot it in my cubby. I'm sorry!"

Peyton laughed and squeezed her daughter tight. "It's okay, I'm sure I can wait to see it on Monday." Haley grunted and kicked Peyton's shin to get her attention back. "Oh, sorry, Hales. What were you saying?"

"Forget it," Haley waved her off with a sigh. "How's school going, Jenny?"

"Good," Jenny smiled. "I have a friend named Abby who's really shy and I think she likes Auntie Brooke a lot because…well…she told me. She says she wishes Auntie Brooke was her aunt and can we have a play date sometime, Mommy?"

Haley got out of the chair before Jenny continued to ramble and caught the end of Karen and Brooke's conversation about the kids in her class. "I don't know what to do with her, Karen," Brooke sighed, smiling slightly when Karen rubbed her arm.

"It'll get better, sweetie," Karen assured her, making room from Haley to form a little circle. "How are things with Nathan? Lucas said you two were arguing out front."

Sometimes Brooke wished Haley would just break down right then and there. Her best friend had gotten much stronger over the years and she was glad but most of the time Haley would go home and cry, then call Brooke in the middle of the night to talk.

"It's, it's good," Haley lied, feeling reassured when Brooke squeezed her hand. "But this is about you, not me. Are you excited about tomorrow?"

Brooke could tell the two wanted to be alone and slipped away with a smile, plopping down in Lucas' lap when she reached him. "Hello, husband."

"Hello, wife," he mocked, kissing the back of her head. "What did you and my mom talk about? How much you both love me?"

"Oh, yeah," Brooke snorted, smoothing out the creases on her skirt. "You're very full of yourself today. It reminds me of Nathan; stop it before I hit you."

"Okay," Lucas laughed, absently rubbing her bare arms with his hands. "Abby seems like a sweet girl. It was nice to put a face to the name since you've been yapping about her non-stop for the past week."

"Isn't she adorable?" Brooke gushed, leaning her head against his. "But her mother is constantly late everyday and I don't know if I should say something. Judging from what I remember at Target, she doesn't seem like a nice woman and I don't want to scare Abby."

"Just wait a while until you get involved," Lucas told her after a pause, sighing inaudibly against the side of her head. More people were filing in and the couple knew they'd have to get up soon and greet their relatives and answer annoying questions about married life and how it was going. "I know you and how you like to get involved but, Brooke, promise me you won't do anything?"

Brooke turned her head a bit to look at him, taken aback by his tone. "She's my student, Luke. If her life's in danger then I feel like it's my job to protect her. You don't know how she gets when she talks about her mother. She flinches at the very mention of her and sometimes she'll beg me not to leave her."

"Please, Brooke?" Lucas stressed, closing his eyes when she tried to protest. It was a reluctant agreement and he wished he could tell her about the meeting he had with Abby and her grandmother the other day.

It would break Brooke's heart if she knew about Abby's life. Her middle-aged mother deemed her a mistake and felt her social life and drug use were more important then her young daughter. Lucas couldn't do it; he couldn't watch her face constrict in pain, her hazel eyes water and he certainly couldn't lie to her and say everything was going to be okay when it wasn't.

Maybe he'd tell her what the doctor said. It had nothing to do with Abby. Yet, when he thought about it, it was just as worse. No matter how long he kept both secrets from her, they were going to destroy her and there was nothing he could say to cushion the blow.


	4. Forever Hold Your Peace In Pieces

**AN: I'm not too happy with this chapter but if I skipped it, it would screw up my timeline and that'd be bad. Anyway, this will probably be the last chapter for a bit...I have finals next week and a 15 page paper I have yet to start. I know you're all dying to know what Lucas' secret is and most of you are on the right track and I feel bad for leaving this as a cliffhanger but I promise, you'll find out for sure next chapter.**

--

"Lucas," Brooke smiled sweetly, desperately trying to pry the cell phone that seemed to be attached to her husband's ear. Keith and Karen had been married for all of one hour and both Scott brothers turned their cell phones on to contact work. "Get off the phone!"

Lucas held up one finger, signaling he'd be one minute.

"We can run some more tests, get another opinion…"

"No, no, that's fine," Lucas sighed, thanking the man on the other end before placing his phone in Brooke's outstretched palm. "Sorry," he wrapped his arm around Brooke's waist, pulling her closer to kiss her lips. "No more, I promise."

"Good," Brooke said, taking his arm and leading him out to the dance floor. "Because I pulled a few strings, flirted with the DJ a bit-" She stopped mid-sentence, patting Lucas' shoulder when he didn't look amused. "You didn't even let me finish!"

"I don't think I want to hear the rest," Lucas laughed, twirling Brooke around before dipping her to the floor. He watched in utter amusement as his mom and uncle/step-father danced around like no one was watching, laughing along with Jimmy and Lydia James. "I think my mom's been hanging around with Haley's way too long. Look at them; you'd never catch me dancing like that."

Brooke giggled as the older couples began doing the robot and other outdated dance moves from the eighties and late seventies. "Aw, but it's so cute! They're so happy and that's all that matters!"

"Yeah, yeah," Lucas said with a mock eye roll, shaking his head when Brooke let loose and jumped around in circles, trying to get him to join. "No, no! You get away from me if you're going to dance like you're drunk."

"What I was trying to say before," Brooke stopped, giving up dancing all together for a brief moment to talk to Lucas. "I got the DJ to play our song," she smiled, winking when he looked interested. "Your mom's probably going to murder me, but…"

"What song…" Lucas' voice trailed off, holding in his laughter when the all too familiar song began to blare through the speakers.

_Smack that all on the floor  
Smack that give me some more_

"Brooke!" he hissed, pulling his wife away from his slightly offended mother. "I can't, oh my god, this is the best thing you've ever done." Brooke looked taken aback with his reaction but soon let her apprehension go when Karen began dancing again.

Pretty soon they were grinding into each other while Peyton and Jake tried to cover Jenny's ears at the dirty song. She was confused and kept asking what she was supposed to smack, then pointing to Lucas and Brooke while they practically went down on each other in the middle of the dance floor.

"Will Auntie Brooke teach me to dance like that?"

"No!" Jake was first to say, scooping his daughter up and whisking her away. Jenny giggled and shook her upper body from side to side, squealing when Jake held her upside down for a brief moment. "You're not dating until you're 40."

Peyton put a smile on her face and stormed out to the dance floor, breaking Brooke and Lucas apart when the brunette's hands traveled south. "Brooke Scott, come with me please," she hissed, grabbing Brooke's arm before she could protest.

"Peyton Jagielski," Brooke mocked, prying Peyton's fingers off her arm. "Where are you taking me? I don't swing that way," she sang sweetly. "Remember Anna from high school? She put the lip lock on you and aw, I wish I had a camera to take a picture."

"Zip it dimple face," Peyton said, her head tilting towards the bar. "Haley's been over there for at least 20 minutes just sitting and staring into space. Nathan's gone, do you know that? Asshole left to go to California to scout some kid from Compton."

Brooke's dimply smile dropped into a frown, sighing when she caught a glance of Haley sitting at the bar all alone. "He left? It's his Uncle's wedding!"

"Yeah," Peyton shrugged with an eye roll, fiddling with Jenny's dress when the little girl pushed on her legs for some attention. "I tried talking to her but she wasn't listening."

"I'll go," Brooke offered, patting Peyton's shoulder when she walked past. "Hey sexy lady, can I buy you a drink?" She cat called in a deep voice, rubbing Haley's back when she looked up at her.

"Go ahead," Haley mumbled, finishing the rest of her drink before pushing the empty class towards the bartender. Brooke shook her head when he went to pour another drink and slipped on the stool next to the blonde. "What are you like the alcohol police now?"

Brooke rolled her eyes and bumped her shoulder into Haley's. "No. I know when you're miserable you don't know when to stop drinking so I'm saving you from an awful hangover tomorrow morning."

"Nathan left," Haley whispered after a pause, afraid to look up to see Brooke's reaction. She shook of the comfort and slipped off the stool, groaning when the brunette pulled her arm back. "Brooke, don't do this."

"I'm not doing anything," Brooke retorted softly, her hand running through Haley's wavy curls that hung past her shoulders. "Why didn't you tell Adam and Noah to stop him? They'd kick his ass and I hate to say it, but I'd like to see that."

"Why are you so against Nathan, Brooke?" Haley's asked a bit harshly, her tone taking Brooke by surprise. "In high school you were all for this little 'Naley' romance and the second we get married you hate him."

"Because he treats you like shit!" Brooke said bluntly, startling the bartender and few other wedding guests scattered around. "Jesus, Haley. You know what? I'm not going to have this conversation with you while you're a drink away from being trashed."

"Uh, Hales?" Lucas broke in, stuffing his hands in his pants pocket when both his wife and friend glared right at him. "I think it's time for your speech."

"Oh, about true love?" Haley spat, ripping up speech she worked so hard on. "Yeah, if I actually believed in the sanctity of marriage still, I'd get right on that. It would be pretty hypocritical of me to go up there and talk about true love seeing as my 'true love' prefers working long hours then being in the same room as me."

"Just leave her," Lucas said, tugging on Brooke's arm when she went go after Haley.

"Your brother…god, I hate him!"

"Why?"

"Well, he left to go scout some brother from the south side!" Brooke threw her hands up in the air, her eyes narrowing into slits when Lucas laughed at her sentence. When he turned serious, she fell back on the bar stool in anger. "That's it! I'm tired of giving him second chances! Kill him, Luke!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down," Lucas sighed, rubbing her bare shoulders as a string of curse words escaped from her red lips. "You have to stop meddling, Brooke."

"But-"

"No, no," he cut her off with a head shake, biting his smile back when she simply let out an overdramatic sigh. "Want me to buy you a drink? Grey goose, I promise."

"I don't want any," Brooke pouted slightly, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Right, I forgot," Lucas began to laugh, quickly ordering a beer. "You've been sober for how many days now? You need to wear your AA pin so I know you're still going strong."

"Ha, ha, ha, "Brooke laughed sarcastically, pinching his cheek harder than expected. "Listen, hubby, I've got some exciting news for you and if you want to hear this exciting news, zip your lips."

Lucas held up his hands in defense and took a sip of beer, eyeing her carefully when she disappeared into the crowded dance floor. He felt someone tugging on his pants and looked down to see Jenny clad in her pajamas, holding her arms up.

"Uncle Luke," she yawned, resting her head on Lucas' shoulder. "I miss, Abby."

"I'm sorry, munchkin," Lucas kissed her forehead, bouncing her gently on his knee when another yawn escaped. "You'll see her on Monday, can you wait until then?"

"Yeah," Jenny said with a faint smile, running the thin material of her uncle's tie through her tiny fingers. She was fascinated with the smooth feeling and thought it was hilarious when she placed it over her eyes and pretend to hid. "Uncle Luke? Will you help her?"

"Help her with what?"

Jenny dropped the tie and looked up at him with teary eyes. "Her mommy doesn't like her! She told me she always yells at her and locks her in her bedroom and you help little girls like Abby, right? Why can't you help her?"

"Jen," Lucas whispered as he held her closer, at an obvious loss for words. "If I tell you something, do you promise to not tell anyone?"

"Promise," Jenny squealed, crossing her heart with her index finger. "I wont tell mommy or daddy or Auntie Brooke or-"

"Okay, I trust you," Lucas interrupted, patting her back when she frowned. "If you just wait a bit, a few months tops, everything will get better for her, I promise."

A smile graced Jenny's lips and she threw her arm around Lucas' neck, babbling incoherent words in her ear. "Jenny," Peyton broke in with a small smile, situating Jenny on her left hip. "Are you ready to go to grandpas? Say goodbye to Uncle Luke and then we'll find Brookie and Haley, okay?"

"Bye, bye, Uncle Luke," Jenny leaned forward, kissing his cheek when he stuck his face out a bit. Peyton smiled and laid Jenny's head on her shoulder, covering her ear with her hand as she slowly began to fall asleep.

"Haley's gone you know," she whispered, pushing Jenny up a bit when she began to fall. Lucas looked at her skeptically and peered past her, sighing when he couldn't spot her anywhere. "Brooke's freaking out and so is your mom, I think Jimmy and Lydia are too drunk to notice."

"Shit," Lucas cursed, apologizing when Peyton shot him a look. "Where's Brooke?"

"I think outside."

With one last goodbye, Lucas sprang to his feet and pushed past the oblivious crowd, ignoring Keith as he called his name.

"I can't talk right now," he told him breathlessly, stomping his foot when Keith wouldn't release the grip he had on his arm. "I'm serious Keith. I have to go find Brooke."

"Relax," Keith smirked, patting his nephew, or step-son's, shoulder. "Haley's, well Haley's just a little drunk but she's fine, I promise. Brooke found her outside and she's out in the hall. You should go take her home."

"But, it's your wedding…"

"Don't worry about it," Keith laughed, sharing a smile when Karen caught his gaze. "It was your mom's idea and she'll be forgetting you three left in a few hours when she's had enough to drink."

"Alright," Lucas smiled. "Congratulations, man. You two crazy kids enjoy your wedding night and please feel free to not inform me of the details."

The two men shook each other's hands, Lucas breathing a sigh of relief when he found the two girls out in the hallway. Brooke was sitting up against the wall and Haley's small body was passed out on her lap, mumbling things that probably weren't even English.

"And remember at prom, you wanted to have a threesome," Haley slurred, looking up at Brooke with a goofy smile. "But I said no because then I'd lose my virginity to both you and Lucas! EW!"

"That never happened," Brooke giggled, continuing to run her hands through Haley's severely messed up hair. She smiled when she saw Lucas and carefully sat her best friend in a sitting position, nearly falling backwards when she finally got Haley standing. "Are you sure your mom will be okay with this? It's her wedding night…"

"She said it was fine," Lucas assured her with a kiss, lifting Haley up into his arms as she swayed back and forth. "Come on, Hales, let's get you home."

"Home…ha! I'll be home alone! That's such a great movie," Haley slapped his back, clearly amused with her own joke. "Brooke! Remember when home alone came out? We were like…kids back then!"

"Haley, how much did you drink?" Brooke tried stifling her laugh as Haley shrugged, an adorable smile all over her face. She opened the backseat door and made sure Haley got settled and was buckled in before they drove. "I hate to tell you this, babe, but she's coming home with us for the night."

"Fine," Lucas pretended to roll his eyes, slipping in the driver's seat. "But, she's not sleeping in between us again. I woke up freezing cold while she had all the blankets!"

"Aw, but she was scared of the thunder that night!"

"Brooke, it wasn't even thundering out," Lucas stated in disbelief, pushing Haley back in the seat when she tried changing the radio station. "Listen, drunky, you stay right where you are, okay? I don't need you obstructing my view while I'm driving."

"Oh, using big words, are we?" Haley pretended to be amazed, waving her hands all around until her fist smacked into the window. "Are you guys gonna have sex when you go home? I haven't had sex in three months! Whoa, maybe that's why Nathan's always a bitch. Nah, he's just a bitch anyways. Bitch is a funny word. Bitch!"

"Haley!" Brooke yelled out, half in amusement, half in annoyance. "If you can be quiet for the rest of the ride home, I'll give you twenty bucks."

"Okay!" Haley immediately yelled in excitement, slapping her forehead when she realized she had already lost. "Wait! That doesn't count. Okay, starting now!"

Lucas shook his head in his own amusement, turning to Brooke when they stopped at a red light. "So, what did you want to tell me?"

"Not now," Brooke said, glancing in the back to see Haley with her hands clamped over her mouth. "She's drunk, Luke, not deaf."

"It's not like she'll remember," Lucas pointed out matter-of-factly, trying to coax it out of Brooke by tickling her sides a bit. "How are you doing back there, Haley?"

"Fine!" Haley smiled, smacking the seat and cursing. "Shit! Lucas, you blew it!"

"Relax, Haley, I'll still give you twenty bucks," Brooke smiled; pushing Haley's hand away as she accidentally began to grope her breasts. She leaned into Lucas, gently whispering in his ear, "I'm gonna need to borrow twenty bucks."

--

It was exactly 9 o'clock on a Saturday night and Brooke was flipping through the television channels aimlessly, letting out a frustrated groan when nothing was on. She threw Haley in the shower in an attempt to sober her up and made a note to go check on her if she wasn't out by ten. Lucas had run out to get something to eat and purposely took his time as he didn't want to deal with a drunken Haley.

"Brookie, my head hurts," Haley complained, carefully coming down the stairs and collapsing on the couch. "It feels like there's an elephant jumping up and down on it."

"Aw, I'm sorry, Baby Haley," Brooke sympathized, rubbing her stomach gently as if it were going to help. "Do you want some Advil or anything?"

"Mm," Haley mumbled, cuddling close to the arm of the leather couch when Brooke got off the couch. She barely registered Brooke being gone and tried not to choke as the brunette practically force fed her the aspirin. "Thanks."

"Anything you want to talk about?"

"Like how my life sucks?"

"No," Brooke sat back down on the couch, throwing the blanket over Haley when she rested her head on her lap. "Your life doesn't suck, Hales. It just has a few complications that will go away soon, I promise."

"I don't believe you," Haley whispered, her shaky fingers intertwining with Brooke's. "It hasn't even been a year, Brooke. I'm going to get divorced after six months of marriage. Even Britney and K-Fed lasted longer!"

"You're not going to get divorced," Brooke told her forcefully, nodding her head when Haley seemed to disagree. "Things will work out, they always do." Haley snorted and Brooke could tell this conversation was going nowhere. "What do you want to do? We can watch a movie if you want?"

"No, I'm just gonna go to bed," Haley quickly said, standing to her feet and pushing Brooke's hands away when she tried steadying her swaying body. "Brooke, stop, please. I, I don't need you to baby me."

"Okay," Brooke sighed, a faint smile on her face. "Just yell if you need anything."

Haley mumbled something and climbed the stairs two at a time, happy to be out of sight when the front door opened and Lucas walked in. He threw the pizza box down in front of Brooke and laughed when she looked disgusted.

"It was the first thing I saw," he explained, kissing her temple. Brooke rolled her eyes and grabbed a few paper plates from the kitchen and plopped down in his lap as they begun to eat. "How's she doing?"

"She's been better," Brooke told him quietly, grimacing when the grease dripped down the pizza and onto the plate. "She thinks they're gonna get divorced."

"They won't," Lucas said, setting the crust down on Brooke's plate. It was her favorite part of the pizza and after years of stealing it from him he gave up and let her have it. "I mean, they're newlyweds, things will work out. Remember us? We didn't think we were going to make it after six months either."

"Because we were still in college," Brooke let out a small laugh, leaning back into his arms when she set the plates down on the table. "Not to mention, it was a shot-gun wedding in Vegas and your mom nearly killed us both."

"But she got over it and it'll be three years in March," Lucas reminded proudly, squeezing her middle lightly. "And we're the proud parents of a twenty three year old who spends more time here then with her own husband."

Brooke decided to let that one go, knowing she'd just get upset if they began talking about Nathan again. "Aw, her birthday's next month so we'll have to start planning her party. Let's throw her a big surprise party, she'll appreciate it."

"As long as it doesn't cost me anything and there's free booze, I'm there," Lucas laughed, holding onto Brooke's hands when she tried slapping his thighs. "So, Jenny told me some things about Abby…have you ever met her mother?"

"I've never met the woman formally," Brooke mumbled, trying best to shake all the thoughts of Abby forming in her mind. "Just that one time at Target where I wanted to smack her across the face, god, people like that shouldn't be parents."

"I know," Lucas agreed, rubbing his hands up and down her arms. "Sadly, there are people out there like that and it sucks, it just sucks."

"There's nothing you can do?"

All these lies were tearing him up and now that Jenny had some sense of idea, he was going to regret the day Brooke found out. "I can't Brooke, we can't talk about this."

"Fine," Brooke finally snapped, getting to her feet in annoyance. "So, the day she comes in with a huge bruise on her face, I'll just ignore it."

"Brooke, come on-"

"No, Lucas," she cut him off angrily, trying to control her breath as it quickened when Lucas tried sitting her back down. "Why are you being like this? She needs someone to save her!"

The words were on top of his tongue, he was going to scream it out just to get her to stop nagging. His work was private and she knew it, she did it all the time. Her heart would break from all the stories he told, leaving out half the details of the dead beat parents for fear she'd never stop crying.

"Whatever, don't talk to me," Brooke snapped him back to reality. She threw her hands up in the air and headed for the stairs. "I'm going to bed."

"It's like 9:15!"

"I'm suddenly feeling very tired," Brooke hissed, stomping up the stairs while Lucas kicked the pizza box off the table in frustration.

Her heart was in his best interest, why couldn't she see that?

Brooke stopped her little tirade once she passed the bathroom, letting out a sigh when she saw Haley passed over the toilet. She quickly flushed it and did her best to get Haley to get her feet without waking her.

"What am I gonna do with you?" she whispered, wiping her eyes before locking it around Haley's waist and struggling to pull her up to her feet. "Jeez, you've gained some weight."

"Want some help?" Lucas asked softly, lifting Haley into his arms without any effort. He looked down at Brooke and frowned at her watering eyes. "I'm sorry, Brooke."

"Me too," Brooke gave him a small smile, burying her head into his chest when he wrapped his free arm around her. She patted Haley's back and let out a small giggle when the blonde moaned softly. "Let's get our little girl back to bed here."

"And just put a trashcan beside her because I'm not getting up every five minutes to help her to the bathroom to puke," Lucas told her seriously, gently laying Haley back down on the bed. Brooke pulled the covers over her and smoothed the hair out of her face. "I think we raised her well, what do you think? Except the drinking, we'll have to work on that. She gets it from you, that's all your fault."

"Oh, well she gets her stubbornness from you!" Brooke teased, letting out a tiny squeal when Lucas lifted her off the bed. "She also gets your inability to be on time from you, your nice, soft, blonde hair-"

"You're gonna get a kick in the ass from me if you don't shut up," Haley groaned, throwing the pillow on top of her head. "If this leads to sex, which I know it will, go in your room and try to keep it down. I'll come interrupt, trust me."

"Goodnight, Hales," Lucas chuckled, repositioning Brooke over his shoulder and giving her butt a gentle slap. He shut the door quietly and continued down the hall, playfully throwing Brooke on the bed and frowning when she pushed him off her. "What?"

"I can't have sex when she's in the next room," Brooke's eyes widened, grunting when Lucas didn't have a problem with that and began kissing down her neck. "Lucas! I'm serious, I can't…she'll hear it and then tease me about it."

"She probably won't even remember!"

"Still," Brooke pouted, planting a kiss on his lips when he finally gave up and rolled to his side of the bed. "Luke? I really am sorry about earlier…you just know how I get with kids and I'm just really sorry."

"I know," Lucas sighed when she mentioned kids, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer. "Speaking of kids, we, we need to talk."

This was it right here. He was going to tell her.

"Yeah," Brooke sat up a bit, looking up at him with a big smile. "I wanted to wait, just until I knew I was sure…but….I know I'm pretty sure, I just have a feeling."

"Oh?" Lucas asked in interest, his heart pounding against his chest when she gripped his hand tightly, her dimples in full effect as she continued to smile.

"I think I'm pregnant!"


	5. Paint It Black And Take It Back

**An: Alright, I lied. THIS will be the last chapter for a bit. I'm still a little depressed about tonight so I don't have much to say. Thanks for the reviews and just make sure you're sitting down when you read the end (which I'm assuming you all are, heh.)**

--

"Oh! If we have twins that are a boy and a girl, can we name them Noah and Allie?" Brooke asked in excitement, her eyes lighting up at the pure thought. "Or if they're girls, let's name them Mary-Kate and Ashley!"

Lucas swallowed past the lump in his throat and forced a smile. "No way in hell."

"Boo," Brooke pouted, smacking him with the huge book of baby names she ran out and bought Sunday afternoon. It had been five days since Brooke dropped the news and he still didn't have the heart to tell her. "So, I was bored while the kids were in art yesterday and I made a list of all the names I like. Want to hear?"

"Sure."

"Okay!" she squealed, pulling out the piece of paper from her purse. "For girls I like: Ella, Ava, Olivia, October, I know that's kind of weird, but how cute would it be to have a baby named October? We both love fall, it would be perfect! Oh, and Ophelia, you know, because you like all those books and I'd rather that than Scout or…Lenny."

"Hey, Scout is a cute name!"

Brooke scoffed, raising her eyebrows at him. "It is not."

Lucas rolled his eyes and let her continue on, interrupting her when she began to name off all the men's names on Grey's Anatomy. "No, you're not naming the baby Derek, Alex, Preston or Mark. Besides, Preston reminds me too much of Britney."

"What about Thatcher?"

"Are we having an 80-year old man?"

"You know what, Rachel?" Brooke teased, tossing the paper back in her purse when she saw the time. "I have to go to work, but we'll figure this out later, okay?"

"O-okay," Lucas stuttered a bit, smiling when she leaned forward and kissed his lips. She was so excited about this non-existent baby and it made him smile a bit. Brooke was going to make a great mother someday but sadly, that day was not soon enough.

--

Brooke frowned at the bright yellow paint stain on her black sweater, desperately trying to remove it with a wet paper towel. Letting out a frustrated groan, she gave up and tossed it in the barrel, eyeing the clock every now and then. It was a slow day and was thankful it was finally over. She felt a tug on her sweater and looked down to see Abby looking up at her with a shy smile.

"I made you this," she whispered, proudly displaying the various lines and squiggles she had created while waiting for her mother. "Do, do you like it?"

"Aw, sweetie, I love it," Brooke smiled, admiring the drawing while trying to figure out what exactly it was. She figured the backward letters and symbols of some sort were supposed to be her name. "I'll hang it on my fridge at home."

"Okay," Abby grinned back, placing the box of crayons and paper on Brooke's desk. "Is it, is it okay if I sit with you, Miss Brooke?"

"Sure," Brooke patted her knee, helping the small girl up when she seemed to struggle. She peered over Abby's shoulder and pushed the chair in a bit so she wouldn't have to stretch to reach the paper. "What are you gonna draw next?"

"I dunno!" Abby shrugged with a little laugh that made Brooke melt. "Oh! I can, I can draw you and Mr. Lucas! It'll be pretty, I promise."

"I trust you," Brooke continued to smile, running a hand through Abby's hair when she anxiously got to work. She tried to hold back her laugh when the stick figure of Lucas had a huge head and the rest of his body was tiny. "So, do you have any big plans for the weekends? Have any big dates coming up I should know about?"

Abby tilted her head back and let out a tiny squeal. "No! Boys are gross!" Brooke let out a tiny gasp and shook her head from side to side while Abby continued to laugh. "Miss Brooke! They are! They smell really, really bad and they're mean."

"You come back to me in ten years and I'll ask you that question again," Brooke winked, rubbing Abby's arms when she scowled. "Once you hit puberty, or in my case, double digits, boys will be all you think about."

"I think I'll stay a little kid forever then," Abby decided, biting her lip when she felt like her drawing was missing something. When she couldn't come up with what it was, she gave up and clutched it tight to her chest. "Done! Close your eyes, Miss Brooke!"

Brooke did as she was told and felt the piece of paper being thrust into her hands, a genuine smile forming on her face when she glanced at the drawing. "If you keep drawing me these pictures I won't have any room left on my fridge! But, what are the black circles on my cheeks?"

"Your holes!" Abby blinked, trying to remember what exactly they were called. "You know, the holes in your cheeks that I can't remember what they're called."

"Dimples."

"Yes, dimples."

"I'm sure Lucas will love this," Brooke told her, wrapping one arm around Abby's small body when she threw her arms her neck. "Will you remember me when you grow up to be a famous artist? I'll probably be a little old lady still teaching preschool."

"But I'm gonna be a teacher, Miss Brooke!" Abby exclaimed with wide-eyes, nodding her head furiously when Brooke looked interested. "I wanna be just like you," she whispered, peering down at the floor. "You're the best."

"I get that a lot," Brooke boasted with a small laugh, relieved when Abby understood she was joking. She jumped in her seat when there was a bang on the door and Haley popped her head in sheepishly. "What's this special little visit for?"

"Can't a girl come visit her best friend without being interrogated?" Haley placed a hand to her heart, frowning when she saw the small girl sitting on Brooke's lap turn away in fright. "Karen sent me home because I was being depressing and she's still too giddy from her wedding night. I was in the neighborhood and I kinda need a ride home…"

Brooke rolled her eyes playfully and gave Abby a gentle squeeze when she noticed her grip tighten. "Okay, we just have to wait for Abby's mom and then we'll leave."

"Aw, what a cute little classroom," Haley gushed, glancing around the large room and the mural on the wall. "I'm having flashbacks to when we were in preschool."

"And when you wet your pants on the first day," Brooke snorted, laughing harder when Haley whacked her across the arm a few times. "Aw, but you did! You were so nervous and Taylor told you she didn't care, man, she hated you."

"She loved me at home!"

"Yeah, yeah," Brooke teased, trying to shift Abby around in her lap when she seemed to be frozen in one place on her leg. "Come to think of it, Hales, I don't think any of your sisters liked you. They liked me better."

"Because, because you didn't live with them! They only saw you like every week or whatever and I was always around…"

"Whatever, whatever," Brooke interrupted, letting out a puff of air when Haley jumped on the left side of her leg and made it numb. "Oh, you little-"

"Ah, ah, watch your mouth, there are little ears present," Haley winked, patting Brooke's head when she stuck her bottom lip out. "Aren't you going to introduce me?"

"This is Abby," Brooke smiled, trying her best to turn Abby around to face Haley. "And, this is Haley, Abby, the girl who used to be my best friend." Haley rolled her eyes and bit her lip when the small girl didn't remove her head from Brooke's shoulder. "Sweetie? It's okay; she's just as small as you so you could probably take her."

Abby eventually took her head off Brooke's shoulder and gave Haley a small wave, holding Brooke's arm tight when Haley moved around in attempt to get comfortable. Brooke noticed the fear in Abby's eyes and pushed Haley off, motioning her to bring over the small chair in the corner.

"I'm sorry," the little brunette whispered, looking up at Brooke sadly. "I don't like new people. Is, is she nice?"

"Yeah," Brooke promised, tapping Abby's nose while Haley shuffled over with the chair and sat down in it with a frown. "Do you want to see the drawing Abby made of me and Lucas, Hales?"

"Sure," Haley shrugged, giving Abby a smile when she caught her gaze. "You're a really great drawer, Abby. This totally looks like Brooke and I love the circles on her cheeks."

"They're her dimples!" Abby told her happily, startling Brooke at her sudden mood change. She was glad she felt comfortable around Haley. "You have sisters?" Her eyes widened when Haley nodded and swung her legs back and forth excitedly. "I've always wanted a sister! How many do you have?"

"Three," Haley said, laughing when Abby's blue eyes nearly popped out of her head. Brooke smiled and ruffled Abby's hair a bit when she clapped in excitement. "No! You don't want sisters! Trust me, they're mean and they don't let you touch their stuff and kick you out when their boyfriends comes to visit."

"But it would be fun to have a little sister!"

"Haley's the baby," Brooke informed Abby when she looked up at her in confusion.

"She's not a baby!"

"I know, I know," Brooke giggled. "She's the youngest in her family. All her sisters and brothers are older so she's a little bitter."

"So, you have three big sisters?" Abby asked, making a face when Haley nodded. "And big brothers too? Can I be in your family?"

"Okay, we'll switch," Haley laughed, a bit surprised when Abby leaned forward and tried giving her a hug around the middle. "Be sure to stay away from Taylor though, she's the meanest one and I don't think you'll like her."

"Yes, go with Quinn, she's the nicest one," Brooke added in, rubbing her legs when Abby jumped off them and went by the window. "Since when are you so good with kids, little-sister-in law? You're a regular pro."

"It's not rocket science, Brookie," Haley rolled her eyes, fiddling with her hair when Brooke was staring at Abby. "What's she looking for?"

"Her mom," Brooke sighed, walking over to where Abby was and glancing out the large window the room had. "I bet she'll be here soon. How about we draw Haley a picture too? With her and her mean old rotten sisters, she'll like that."

Abby froze when her mother's all too familiar honking filled the room, slowly standing on her tip toes to see if it was her mother's old, beat up dodge Chrysler. Brooke patted her back in comfort and grabbed her jacket and backpack off the hook, helping her slip on the dirty jacket with a small smile.

"You all ready?"

"Will, will you come with me?" Abby asked in a small voice, the waiver in her quiet tone tugging at Brooke's heart strings. "Mommy's scary and, and if I'm with you, I can be brave."

"Sure, let me just grab my stuff," Brooke put on a smile, grabbing Haley off the chair and quickly gathering her things so they wouldn't keep Mrs. Collins waiting. "Alright, you kids ready to head home?"

"Yes, Miss Brooke," Haley nodded in mock excitement, watching as Abby scampered over and grabbed onto Brooke's hand. "Oh, can we stop at the store on the way home? I need to get some more macaroni and cheese."

"I love macaroni and cheese!" Abby said in astonishment, a huge smile forming on her face when Haley gave her a high five. "It's my favorite food ever!"

"Mine too!"

Brooke laughed and just shook her head at Haley, patting her back with her free hand. "I swear, Haley, I think you're one of the kids sometimes. Do you wanna adopt Haley, Abby? She's housebroken and she makes a mean Mac n' cheese."

"You love me too much to let me go, Brookie," Haley pointed out, giving Brooke a big hug from behind. "You'd call me every night, saying you wish you never gave me away so I'm gonna spare you the heartache and stay with you. Sorry, Abby."

"You don't want her anyway, Abby," Brooke began, looking at Haley sweetly. "I don't think you're prepared to take care of a twenty three year old. Are you ready for that?"

Abby shook her head and squealed softly when Haley looked offended. "She can stay with you, Miss Brooke! I'm only four! I need someone to take care of me!"

Brooke forced a small smile and tried not to let Abby's last sentence ruin all the fun they had been having. She was really starting to open up with the other kids in the class and Brooke felt like a proud parent.

"Hey, do me a favor?" she pulled Haley back as Abby trailed ahead, careful not to let her voice go above a whisper. "Will you stay with her while I go talk to her mother? I want to give this woman a piece of my mind."

"O-okay," Haley agreed reluctantly as they exited the school, sighing when Abby immediately clung to Brooke's hand. The brunette untangled herself from the smaller girl and closed her eyes when Abby began to freak out. "It's okay, it's okay," Haley tried whispering, taking a chance and lifting the girl into her arms. "Do you want me to tell you a story about how I got my head stuck in the banister?"

"Miss Brooke," Abby whimpered tearfully, trying to squirm out of Haley's arms. "I want, I want Miss Brooke!"

"She'll be right back," Haley soothed her, gently rocking her back and forth. "I promise, Abby, you just have to stay here with me, okay? You can trust me."

Abby sniffed back the rest of her tears and let out a small giggle. "You really got your head stuck in the banister?" Haley laughed right along with her, sitting on the steps and preparing to tell the most embarrassing story of her life.

As the door to the beat up car opened, Brooke felt her heart pound against her chest. She had no idea what she was going to say to this woman. Abby was only a few feet away and the last thing she wanted was for Abby to hear all the nasty things she was about to say to her mother.

"Are you Abby's mother?"

"No, dear," an older woman laughed, using the car for support as she stepped up on the sidewalk. "I'm Abby's grandmother; I forgot Janice asked me to pick her up from school today. I feel awful for making you wait."

"Oh, oh, it's no problem," Brooke smiled; thankful she could avoid this conversation for the time being. "I don't mind waiting, I'm used to it."

"You must me, Brooke?"

"Yes," Brooke nodded, shaking the old lady's trembling hand. "Abby's a great girl and she's made a lot of progress over the past week or so. She's, she's absolutely adorable."

"I've heard a lot about you," the woman said with a small smile, dropping Brooke's hand when she realized she was still holding onto it. "Abby's very fond of you and I'm glad there's a positive influence in her life."

"Nana!" Abby squealed, rushing down the walkway as Haley did her best to try and keep up with her. "I didn't know you were picking me up!"

"Of course, sweetie," Jean smiled, patting Abby's back when she finally got settled in her weakening arms. "Did you thank Miss Brooke for waiting with you?"

"Thank you," Abby smiled, reaching out to Brooke's hand. "This is my nana!"

"We met," Brooke told her happily, brushing the stray pieces of hair out of her face. "I'll let you two get going, I guess. It was nice meeting you and have a nice weekend. I'll see you on Monday."

Abby nodded sadly and snuggled close to her grandmother as Brooke and Haley walked away, whispering into Jean's ear that she wanted it to be Monday already.

--

"Jesus Christ," Brooke groaned as she pulled into the driveway, eyeing Nathan's car as she climbed out of her own. She stormed through the backdoor and was forced to contain herself when she came face to face with most of Haley's problems. "Well, well, well. Look who's returned! Glad to see you didn't get shot in Compton."

"They didn't fire you yet?" Nathan fired back, rolling his eyes when Lucas pushed his shoulder a little. "How many times do I have to tell you this, Brooke? Mind your own god damn business."

"Dude, shut the fuck up," Lucas came to his wife's rescue, holding her back when Brooke's briefcase went flying on the floor. "If anything, you should be removing your head out of your ass. By the way, you owe me new sheets. Your wife threw up all over them Saturday night after she got trashed because you left."

"I had to go for work!"

"That excuse is getting really old, man," Lucas continued, trying to calm himself as Brooke rubbed his back comfortingly. "You tell me the truth and so help me god if I find out you're lying, I will kill you. Are you cheating on her?"

"No, I'm killing him!" Brooke stomped her foot, lunging at Nathan when he just laughed. Lucas pulled her back by the waist and kept a firm grip on her, breathing heavily when his brother just simply threw his hands in the air. "Who's the bimbo you're screwing around with? I told you if you EVER broke Haley's heart, I'd break your jaw."

"I don't fucking need this," Nathan blew out, grabbing his keys off the table and heading for the door. "And not that it's any of your business, but I am not cheating on my wife."

Both Brooke and Lucas jumped as he slammed the door violently; shaking the few pictures they had on the kitchen walls. "Should we believe him?"

"For Haley's sake, yes," Brooke whispered, burying her face into Lucas' chest when he pulled her in for a hug. "How was your day?"

"Ah, can't complain," Lucas said into her hair, kissing the tip of her nose when she looked up at him with a small smile. "And yours?"

"Good," Brooke told him. "Abby met Haley today and she was so comfortable with her. She's really opening up and getting to know the other kids in the class, Luke. I'm so proud of her; it's so relieving to see her like that."

"That's good," Lucas smiled, running a hand through his hair when Brooke spun out of his arms to pin the two drawings up Abby made on the fridge. "What are those?"

Brooke let out a small laugh and pulled him closer. "Abby made them for us! Aren't they so cute, Lucas? Look, that's me and you! The black holes are supposed to be my dimples and isn't she just so adorable? I just want to eat her up!"

"Why do I have pink hair?" Lucas grimaced with mock sadness, grabbing a bottle of water out of the fridge before he turned back to Brooke. He had to tell her now, the second she brought up the baby it was going to break his heart. "Sweetie, we have to talk."

"What's wrong?" Brooke gulped, gripping the chair when his face crumbled. "Luke, you, you only call me sweetie when something's wrong. Are, are you okay? Did the doctor call you and tell you some bad news? Please tell me you're okay!"

"I, I'm fine," he assured her, pulling her body into his. He needed to feel the warmth of her and inhale her signature scent minus the faint smell of children. "We have to talk, we have to talk about this…baby."

"Oh," Brooke sighed. "I know, I know I should have found out before I told you, but I just got so excited, you know? We've wanted this for so long and when I haven't been getting my period for two months, I just…"

Lucas brushed the hair out of her face and placed a single, long kiss on her forehead. "Baby, I know how much you want a baby, I do too, but it's just not possible."

"What do you mean?" Brooke's voice rose, raising her eyebrows when Lucas simply shook his head in defense. "Are you saying you don't want this to be true?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying."

"Then what are you saying?" Brooke finally snapped when Lucas failed to fight back. "I don't understand, Lucas. First you say you want a baby, and when there's a good chance it could be true, you don't want one?"

"Brooke, you don't understand. It's not true, you're not pregnant."

"How do you know?" Brooke laughed bitterly, pushing him away when he tried comforting her when she began to tear up. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but when the fuck did you become a doctor?"

"I have to tell you something," Lucas finally got out, taking her trembling body and placing her in the chair. He grabbed her hands and squeezed them tight, running his thumb over her knuckles. "I'm not a doctor, obviously, but I know one hundred percent in my heart that you are not pregnant."

The room fell silent and Brooke finally broke, the sobs attacking her figure as he tried to bite back his own tears. He shook his thoughts away, grunting when Brooke refused his comfort. His heart was breaking as she stood to her feet, her misty hazel eyes boring holes into his face.

"_Lucas, I know I'm small, but if you ever break Brooke's heart, I'll break your jaw."_

Lucas shook Haley's voice out of his head, banging his fist on the counter when Brooke finally found her voice.

"You don't want a baby, do you?"

"No! Brooke, that's not true! I want nothing more then to have a baby with you."

"Then what is it, Lucas?" Brooke yelled, swiping away her tears as they cascaded down her cheeks. Normally, Lucas would tease her about the mascara running down her face, but now was not the time. "How do you know I'm not pregnant? Huh?"

"I just know…"

"How?" Brooke's voice broke, collapsing back in the chair when she watched Lucas' eyes fill up with tears. She felt her stomach tighten and gripped the back of the chair as her husband buried his head into his hands. "Tell me! You tell me right now, Lucas Eugene Scott! I swear to god, Lucas! If you don't tell me right now, then I'll walk out that door and may never return."

Lucas took a deep breath, preparing to shatter Brooke's heart.

"I'm sterile."


	6. It's Only Comfort Calling Late

**AN: Just taking a quick break to drop this update off. It's..blah, but I felt bad for leaving you guys hanging. Please tell me what you think!**

--

Brooke carefully sat down on the wooden barstool, frowning when she inhaled the musty air of the bar she ended up in. She and Lucas had gone there many times and even had their first date there; a night of drunken pool playing which resulted in Lucas brandishing his arm with a tattoo of a Chinese Symbol. It seemed like a good idea at the time but the next morning, he woke up to a scolding from his Uncle Keith.

After Lucas dropped the bomb, she felt her whole world crumble to her feet. His voice was so full of anguish, the pain evident on his face. When she failed to speak, he tried to hug her, wincing visibly when she pulled back violently.

"_I can't be here right now," she told him in a whisper, her eyes clouding with salty tears that were beginning to stream down her cheeks._

He didn't even try to protest, knowing she was better off alone. Lucas figured she'd probably end up going to Haley's for a good cry, he never thought she'd end up going to the bar to drown her sorrows in beer. It was an old school Brooke Davis move and everyone thought she was dead and buried.

"Bartender lady," she tried to control the anger in her voice, slightly banging on the wooden bar when the lady behind it seemed distracted. "Hello?"

"Hold on one second, bitch!"

"Oh, god," Brooke groaned as she came face to face with a grinning Taylor James. "Out of all the bars in Tree Hill, why do YOU work here?"

"Well, out of all the bars in Tree Hill, why did YOU come here?" Taylor retorted, her grin still in tact. "What brings you to my neck of the woods? I almost didn't recognize you without the brooding blonde in tow."

"Which one?"

"Touché," Taylor nodded, faking a smile when another customer came in. "So, what can I get for you, Mrs. Scott? Wait, wait, let me guess: Grey Goose on the rocks?"

"A beer's fine, thanks," Brooke rolled her eyes, tossing a crumpled five dollar bill towards Taylor. "Keep the change and buy yourself something nice."

"Oh, you're just too kind, Davis," Taylor told her patronizingly, reaching across to pinch her cheeks. Brooke slapped her hands away and took a big swig, nearly choking on the bottle when Taylor pulled it away. "Relax! If you puke in here, you clean it up."

"Whatever," Brooke mumbled, amazing the older man next to her as she finished the rest of the beer in a few more sips. "Give me another one," she demanded, throwing more money across the bar. "Here, keep that and tell me when I need to pay more."

Taylor raised her eyebrows and slid another beer over towards her. "I don't mean to pry, because I really don't care, but is something wrong?"

"Nothing gets by you," Brooke laughed, the bitterness in her voice taking Taylor aback. Her sister's best friend was never one to beat around the bush and she couldn't help but feel surprised when Brooke's shoulders shrugged lazily. "Lucas and I had a fight."

"About?"

"Taylor, seriously," Brooke made a face as Taylor leaned over the counter, averting her eyes when all she could see was cleavage. "Just pretend you don't know me."

"Want me to call, Haley?"

"No," the younger brunette shook her head, tapping her fingers against the cool bottle. "I would say she has enough problems to deal with. Our brother-in-law's a dick by the way."

"He's a nick dick…if you know what I mean," Taylor wiggled her eyebrows, laughing when Brooke looked disgusted. "Jeez, Brooke, pop a Midol. Why so glum?"

Brooke gnawed on her bottom lip, knowing if she bit any harder there would be blood trickling down her mouth in a few seconds. Taylor wasn't exactly a person to trust and she knew if she told her Lucas would sterile, she'd tell Haley and word would get around about the subject she couldn't even talk about her husband with.

"I'm just stressed," she lied after a pause, sending a fake smile Taylor's way. "Preschooler's run you ragged day after a day and…getting drunk will solve all my problems tonight."

"I'm usually all for that," Taylor began, quickly waiting on another customer before she finished her sentence. "It's not gonna help whatever you're avoiding, Brooke."

"Give me another beer."

"Brooke-"

"What?" Brooke yelled, startling the other bar patrons around. "Either give me another beer or I'll go somewhere else!"

"Calm down," Taylor hissed, doing as she was told and getting Brooke another drink. "I don't know what the hell is wrong with you but this is not how you usually deal with things."

"You don't know me, shut up."

"I do know you," Taylor corrected harshly. "I've known you ever since you were that insanely gorgeous two-year old my mom babysat for." Brooke blushed at the compliment but quickly brushed it off when Taylor continued on. "Then you grew up and became that insanely annoying girl that entertained my equally annoying little sister. Brooke, whether you like to admit this or not, I know you, I know what you're like and I know how much you've changed. If you want to act like you did in high school, go ahead, but expect me to say I told you so when this all blows up in your face."

Brooke let out a frustrated groan and pulled at her brown locks, tapping her foot impatiently against the floor to stop her tears. "Just don't tell anyone I was here, okay? I'm just…I just need to be alone and deal with this."

"Fine," Taylor sighed reluctantly, taking a step to the right to wait on the already tipsy woman that crawled onto the seat next to Brooke. "Can I help you?"

"Give me a Bud light," the woman asked, somewhat angrily. Taylor rolled her eyes at the rudeness and collected the money, throwing the change back in retaliation. "Why don't you learn some fucking manners, young lady?"

"Why don't you learn how to say please, old hag."

"Whoa, calm down," Brooke cut in, leaning to the side a bit when the older woman banged her fist on the countertop. "She doesn't mean anything by it, lady, she's just joking around."

"Mind your business," the woman snapped, taking quick sips of her beer. "I'm having a very bad fucking week and your whiny voice is giving me a headache."

"Yeah, well, join the club," Brooke mumbled, contemplating whether or not to order another beer.

"_You don't want a baby, do you?"_

"_No! Brooke, that's not true! I want nothing more then to have a baby with you."_

"_Then what is it, Lucas? How do you know I'm not pregnant? Huh?"_

"_I just know…"_

"_Tell me! You tell me right now, Lucas Eugene Scott! I swear to god, Lucas! If you don't tell me right now, then I'll walk out that door and may never return."_

"_I'm sterile."_

"Taylor," she called out to the older girl, snapping her finger when Taylor didn't seem to budge from her position. "Taylor, I need another beer!"

Hesitating, Taylor grabbed another beer and placed it in Brooke's hands, getting rid of the two empty beer bottles she had next to her. "I'm cutting you off, Brooke, that's it."

"Fuck you," Brooke spat, the alcohol getting the best of her. She hadn't drunk in months and she felt like a lightweight. "I already have a mother, Taylor. I don't need you acting like a surrogate one right now."

"If she wants to drink, let her drink."

"Thank you!" Brooke threw her hands up in the air, sending a thankful smile to the woman's way. She clanked their bottles together and took a big gulp, a violent shiver going down her spine when she was done. "Listen to this woman, Tay, she says I can drink, so I'm gonna drink!"

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Taylor glared at the older woman. "Shouldn't you be at home looking after your daughter? Weren't you saying something about DSS being up your ass?"

"Whatever, they can take her. I could give two shits about her."

Brooke felt her grip on the bottle tighten, startling everyone around her when she slammed it down in front of her. God, that had struck a major nerve and the alcohol running through her veins only made it worse.

"Are you serious?" she asked in disbelief, shaking her head when the woman merely shrugged. "You have a daughter at home and you're, you're at a bar?"

"She was a mistake," the woman argued, finishing off her beer. "Her father died and left me alone with the little shit. She's a pain in my ass, I'd rather DSS take her away."

"How can you say that?" Brooke's eyes burned with tears, brushing Taylor's arm off when she came around to try and pull her away. "She's, she's your daughter!"

"No, she's a mistake!"

In the blink of an eye, Brooke's hand slapped the woman across the cheek, her chest heaving up and down with anger. "What the hell is your problem? How CAN you even say that about your daughter?"

"Brooke, stop it," Taylor hissed, keeping a tight grip on her arm while she tried to advance forward. "Just let it go."

"No, I will not let it go!" Brooke continued to yell, feeling childish as she stomped on Taylor's foot to let her go. "Listen, lady, there are some people in this world who can't have children. You should be grateful for being able to have one."

Without another word, she stormed off into the bathroom, choking back her sob when she heard footsteps from behind her. She didn't want this to happen; she was supposed to be strong and hold all her anger in from Lucas. But she couldn't be mad at him, it wasn't his fault. He was trying to protect her and she wished she could have seen that from the beginning.

"Brooke?" Taylor whispered carefully, bending down to get eye level when Brooke failed to meet her gaze. "You and Lucas can't have kids, is that why you're here?"

"It's, it's not fair," Brooke whimpered, reaching up and trying to find comfort in Taylor's hesitant embrace. There were a few times when Brooke was a teenager she went to the older James girl for a problem, but they were mainly about boys and makeup, nothing serious like this. "He told me today and I just left, I just left! I was so angry, I just got caught up in the moment and now I'm a freaking mess."

"Your reaction's pretty normal," Taylor tried to tell her, rubbing her back comfortingly. She was used to this with Haley but she never would have imagined Brooke Scott having a breakdown in public. "There's always other options, what about adoption? Do you want to talk to Quinn? She went through the same thing with Dan."

"No," Brooke shook her head, wiping her eyes with the back of hand. "Will you just call him for me? Call, Lucas, I mean? I can't drive home like this."

"Sure."

"Thanks, Tay," Brooke whispered, hugging her knees to her chest when Taylor let her go and stood back up to her feet. "You, you won't tell anyone about this, right?"

"As long as you don't tell anyone I was nice to you," Taylor joked, relieved that Brooke let out a small giggle. "You're secret safe with me, Brooke."

--

Taylor couldn't help but laugh as Lucas came bounding through the door, exactly ten minutes after she called. "She's in the bathroom," she told him, jumping in shock as he engulfed her in a bear hug.

"Thanks, Tay," Lucas got out before he pushed back the other people, carefully knocking on the door before he went in. A smile graced his lips when he saw Brooke sitting on the floor, tugging at her sleeves absently. "Hey, pretty girl, what are you doing on the floor?"

"Hi, Luke," Brooke whispered, holding out her hands as a sign to help her up. "Thanks for coming."

"I was worried about you," he told her, kissing the top of her head when she hugged him tightly around the chest. "How are you doing? This is the last place where I thought you'd be…"

"I know," Brooke sniffled, burying her face into his shoulder. "I was driving and I was really upset and somehow…I ended up here. I'm so sorry for running out on you like that. It's just…it's just really big news."

"I know," Lucas sighed, rocking her gently when she bit back her sob. "You were so happy…thinking you were pregnant, I couldn't ruin it for you. I love seeing you like that and I was gonna hate myself for breaking your heart."

"How long have you known?"

"I, I found out at the wedding."

"Oh," Brooke whispered, looking up at him with watery eyes. "What are we gonna do?"

Lucas paused, not knowing the exact answer to that. "We could ask Nathan for his sperm." Hearing her patented giggle was like music to his ears.

"Imagine how much that would screw our kids up! Yeah, because your daddy was sterile, Uncle Nathan donated his sperm so in reality, your Uncle's your father and all of your cousin's are actually your half-siblings."

"Just a suggestion," he shrugged, ticking her sides. "If we used Nathan's sperm, our son wouldn't be half as good looking as if it were my sperm. I'm hotter, right?"

Brooke was silent for a moment, not being able to hold back her smile anymore. "Of course you are, baby. Why else do you think I went after you instead of Nathan?"

"That never crossed my mind," Lucas kissed her lips, contemplating the answer. "Why did you go after me instead of Nathan? I thought you liked the bad boys."

"I did, but I was never attracted to him thank god," Brooke shuddered. "From that moment I saw you…I knew you were the one for me."

"Love at first sight, huh?" Lucas grinned, scowling when Brooke slapped his sides. "It was my intelligence, wasn't it?" Brooke shook her head with a giggle, sticking her bottom lip out when he was serious. "Wait, wait. The first time you saw me…you were like six!"

"Okay, the first time I saw you in more of a friend way," Brooke re-worded it, running her hands through his hair. He looked intrigued and waited for her to finish, nudging her gently when she remained silent. "I'm kidding, Luke. I can't explain it! You, you know that feeling? You…just know you're supposed to be with that person for the rest of your life."

"Not really," Lucas laughed, trying to regain his composure when she narrowed her puffy eyes at him. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Of course I know that feeling," he whispered, leaning into her and inhaling the musty bar scent. "Come on; let's go home, you don't smell that attractive right now."

Brooke rolled her eyes and wiped away the last remaining tears, pulling him back as he went to open the door. "Everything will be okay, right?"

"I promise," he told her reassuringly, kissing her temple to prove his point. "Everything will work out, just wait and see."

"I trust you," Brooke whispered, reaching up to kiss his lips. They walked out of the bathroom hand in hand, laughing to each other when a bulky woman gave them each a disapproving look. "Damn, trust Taylor to work in a sketchy place like this."

"Well, trust you to pick this spot as our first date."

"Hey," Brooke put her hand up in defense. "It was the only place that didn't reject my fake ID! We had fun and that's all that matters."

"Of course," Lucas nodded, stopping short when he noticed the woman Brooke argued with earlier. She was staggering back onto the barstool and the other bar patrons around were making faces at her. "Hey, why don't you go wait in the car? I, I have to ask Taylor something…I'll be ten minutes tops."

Brooke tried to see what Lucas was looking at, reluctantly letting his hand go when he moved to the left. "Oh, okay. I'll go call Hales and see what she's up to."

With one last kiss, Lucas watched her weave her way through the crowd, sending one last dimply smile his way before she disappeared out the door. He took a deep breath and slowly made his way over to the bar, leaning up against the counter.

"Hey."

"Oh," the woman sighed into her bar, Lucas trying not to grimace at the cloud of smoke that seemed to follow her each time they met. "It's you. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I'm just going to assume our last conversation didn't mean anything to you," Lucas snipped, glancing around the bar to make sure Taylor was out of ear shot. "What did I tell you last time, Janice?"

"I've seemed to have forgotten," Janice slurred, rolling her eyes as she took another sip.

Lucas bit his lip, tapping the countertop impatiently. "You know what? I'll tell you one more time; I catch you in this bar or any other one in town, I find out you're under the influence of alcohol at anytime, Abby will be gone before you and your hangover realize it. Is that clear?"

"Crystal."

"It better be," Lucas mumbled before stepping away, pushing the double doors open in a huff. He quickly apologized to the couple he almost knocked over and grabbed his cell phone, punching in the numbers hastily. "Pete? Yeah, man listen, I need you to do me a huge, huge favor."

"Alright, man, what is it?"

"You know the Adams case? The one I just got? Can you give that to John? I know he's been trying to get more work and this Collins case…what did the judge say?"

"Uh, late October, early December I think. He says as long as the grandmother's around to take care of her, he's gonna wait a bit and see how it all plays out."

"No!" Lucas yelled, banging his fist into the brick wall. "Call that bastard back and tell him I want permission to take her out of there by the end of the month tops. Janice Collins? She's in the god damn bar drunk as a skunk, what kind of mother is that?"

"Alright, I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks, man," Lucas sighed, slamming the phone shut before a loud string of curse words escaped his mouth. Slowly, he made his way over to the car, a genuine smile gracing his lips when he saw Brooke was sound asleep in the front seat.

--

"Luke?" Brooke mumbled groggily, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes once she realized she was in her bed and not still in the car. "What time is it?"

"9:15," Lucas laughed at her frown, smoothing the hair out of her face once she got herself in a sitting position. "You've been asleep for a few hours."

"That's sad," Brooke pouted, running the thin material of her pajama shirt through her fingers. "9:15 on a Friday and I'm tired? The apocalypse is coming!"

"I think you're just run down from work all week," Lucas smiled, rubbing Brooke's shoulders when she leaned into him tiredly. "Those little monsters really run you ragged, huh? Can't it just be naptime for the whole time you're there?"

"No," Brooke giggled, slapping his thigh playfully. "They never want to sleep! But as soon as their head hits the pillow…we're all out like lights and Brookie goes home a well-rested girl."

"Which is good, I hate dealing with grumpy Brookie," Lucas teased, knowing she was too tired to protest. He gently placed her back down in her original position and shut the light off, crawling back into bed with her. "I'm sorry for lying to you."

"It's, it's okay," Brooke's voice cracked, closing her eyes when she felt Lucas' hand move up her thigh before finally landing on her stomach. "You were just trying to protect me but, please, please don't lie to me ever again?"

"I won't," Lucas assured her, trying to block out Abby from his brain. "Anything you want to tell me while we're on the subject of secrets?"

"Yeah," Brooke sighed dramatically. "My other husband's back in town and we're kinda thinking of getting back together. You're great, you really are…"

"Shut up," Lucas silenced her with a kiss, his fingers slowly creeping up her shirt. "So, what's your other husband like? Smart? Successful? Sexy?"

"What?" Brooke yelled in amusement, turning over to face him. "I cannot believe you just asked me if my other husband was sexy! You scare me sometimes."

"Yeah, yeah," Lucas pretended to sigh, his hands rubbing her stomach when she rolled back over. It would have been nice if there really was a child inside of Brooke, knowing it was something they created together. "Brooke?"

After a brief pause, Brooke finally opened her eyes and tiled her head back. "Yeah?"

"I love you, you know that? And everything will be okay, I promise."

And with one simple smile from Brooke, Lucas knew it was a promise he could keep.


	7. Older Burns Are Overturned

**AN: Here's another quick update for you guys. I didn't intend to finish this tonight but I couldn't stop typing and low and behold, chapter seven's all finished. Thanks so much for the reviews, I love reading them and it's fun to watch you all figure out the plotline (which you all are doing very well btw, heh). The next chapter will probably skip ahead a few weeks just so I can speed up time.**

--

Brooke's eyes fluttered open the next morning, letting out a tiny groan when she saw the empty space next to her. She groped around the half made side of the bed and quickly grabbed the piece of paper when her hand came in contact with it.

_Brooke,_

_Had to do a few quick things for work, be home by 3. I have a surprise for you so make sure you're home. _

_Love, Lucas_

She couldn't help but smile at the last part, who didn't love surprises? Crumbling the note into a tiny ball and tossing it aside, Brooke rolled over and raised her eyebrows as the bedroom door cracked open a bit.

"It's just me, you can come in."

"Okay," Haley appeared seconds later, letting the door shut behind her. "Where's your husband? Did he not come home last night? Oh, wait, that's my husband!"

Brooke frowned, patting the empty space next to her. "Aw, Hales. Don't tell me Nathan didn't come home again last night. I thought things were working out."

"I don't know," Haley shrugged, slipping underneath the covers. "I went to my parent's house for dinner and I figured I'd just stay. I mean, there's nothing to come home to."

"Well, boys suck anyway," Brooke told her quietly, sitting up a bit to peer down at her best friend. She contemplated telling Haley about Lucas being sterile but she was still trying to process it and the last thing she wanted was pity for the time being. "So, Luke and I went out last night," she half-lied, "I didn't know Taylor worked at Donahue's."

"Oh, yeah," Haley nodded, running the thin material of the sheets through her fingers. "I think she got fired from her last job for sleeping with one of the customers while she was on the clock. I don't know, I don't really listen to her. She said she saw you two last night though."

"What, what did she say?" Brooke asked nervously, her stomach turning itself inside out.

Did Taylor tell Haley what she told her?

"Nothing," Haley shrugged. "Just that she saw you two there." Brooke breathed a sigh of relief and patted Haley's head, making a face when the house phone rang. "If that's Nathan tell him I'm not here! I want him to see how it feels."

"Hello?"

"Is my wife over there?" Nathan practically yelled, pacing around in the kitchen. "She never came home last night and I've been up all morning. Do you think something happened to her?"

"No, no," Brooke reassured him, turning her back so she wouldn't see Haley's face. "I'm sure she's perfectly fine, Nate. She'll come home soon, I promise."

"How do you know?"

"B-because," Brooke bit her lip, unable to hold the lie in anymore. "She's right here." After Nathan asked to talk to her, Haley refused, trying to push the phone away until Brooke pushed it up against her ear and pinched her arm so she'd make a noise.

"Hello?" Haley mumbled, glancing at her nails when Nathan's voice filled her ears.

"Haley? Where the hell have you been?" Nathan asked frantically, finally taking a seat at the table knowing his wife was safe. "I thought someone had kidnapped you! If you weren't gonna come home you could have least called!"

"I'm sorry, were you worried?" Haley's voice dripped with sarcasm, pushing Brooke away when she leaned in to listen. "Now you know how I feel, Nathan!"

"Look, Hales, I'm sorry."

Haley sighed, leaning back against the headboard. "I'll be home later," she told him shortly, hanging up the phone before he could even respond. Brooke put the phone back on its cradle and poked Haley's sides when she remained quiet. "Don't be nosey."

"This is me you're talking to," Brooke stated seriously. "I know your whole life story inside and out and I could probably tell you in every detail why you ran home crying after Marcus tried to feel you up in middle school."

"I never told you that!"

"Like I said, this is me you're talking to," Brooke repeated with a goofy smile, throwing her arms around Haley when she pouted like a petulant child. "Fine, if you're not gonna tell me what Nathan said, I'll just guess."

"Just drop it," Haley snapped, trying to suppress her yawn as Brooke finally got the hint and backed off. "I'm sorry. I didn't get much sleep last night."

"What could you possibly be doing that kept you up?"

"I had to share a bed with Taylor," Haley scowled, getting herself comfortable as she felt her eyes growing heavier and heavier. "Since my parents decided to turn MY room into some stupid home gym, I had to share Taylor's bed until she got a special visitor at 4 in the morning so I had to sleep on the couch!"

"Am I the only one who thinks it's sad that Taylor still lives with your parents?"

"Well, she does have the whole basement to herself," Haley pointed out tiredly, letting out a small giggle when Brooke scoffed. "I mean, if I wasn't married and didn't have a boyfriend, I'd live with my parents too! They don't make her pay rent or anything."

"Damn, can Lucas and I move in there then?"

"As their youngest child, I'm pretty sure they'd let me move in before you," Haley pointed out matter-of-factly, sticking her tongue out when Brooke's eyes widened in disbelief. "Go move in with your parents or something."

"Yeah, but you'd miss me if I moved to the Bahamas," Brooke grinned, ruffling Haley's hair when she rolled her eyes.

"On second thought, you can move in with my parents, and I'll move in with yours."

"Fine by me," Brooke shrugged. "You just have to find them first."

"Boo," Haley frowned, slapping the bed with her palm. "You wanna hear something sad?"

"Not really, Hales."

"Okay," Haley continued on, repositioning herself until she got comfortable. "You know how Quinn and Dan have been trying to have a baby for a while?" Brooke bit her lip and nodded her head, trying to shrug off the shivers shooting down her spine. "Well, she went to the doctors and they found out Dan's sterile. How sad is that?"

Brooke paused, swallowing past the lump in her throat. "That's, that's terrible."

"I know," Haley sighed, not catching the waiver in Brooke's voice. "It just sucks for the poor people out there who can't have kids while there are tons of people out there who could care less for their kids."

"Yeah, it sucks," Brooke mumbled, blinking back the tears in her eyes. She was staring down at her lap and just hoped Haley wouldn't take notice. "Anyways, you want breakfast? I'm kinda craving pancakes."

"Sure," Haley agreed, crawling out of the bed after Brooke. "Do you by any chance have a craving for chocolate chip pancakes, Brookie?"

Brooke's spirits lifted at the hopeful look on Haley's face, crushing her best friend in a bear hug. "You're one of a kind, you know that? You…"

"What?"

"Just promise you'll be there for me no matter what?" Brooke asked, on the verge of tears again when Haley nodded frantically.

"Promise," Haley smiled, gently slapping Brooke's cheek in the process.

Brooke felt bad for lying to Haley, but how could she tell someone else something she had yet to come to terms with?

--

Lucas took a deep breath, adjusting his tie before he pressed his finger into the doorbell. He stepped back a few feet, glancing around the neighborhood where Abby's grandmother resided and tried to think of reasons why the little girl wasn't living there. It was his to his knowledge that Jean was sick with cancer but each time they had met, she had seemed perfectly healthy, vibrant and full of life.

"Lucas?" a quivery voice snapped him out his thoughts. "Hello! Come in, come in," Jean pulled him in, a smile gracing his lips when she thought how happy Abby would be to see him. "What brings you by? Did we have a meeting and I forgot all about it? I'm sorry; I'm going senile in my old age."

"Oh, no, no," Lucas assured her with a smile. "I was just, I ran into Janice last night at the bar and I wanted to make sure…"

"Abby was with me?"

"Yeah," Lucas whispered, taking a seat on the couch when Jean patted the space next to her. "I'm really trying my best, Mrs. Johnson. The judge, the judge isn't budging with the court date and…"

"Please, call me, Jean," the older woman smiled warmly, her shaky hand covering Lucas' for a brief moment. "I know you're doing the best you can, Lucas. I just, when my husband was still alive two years ago, we wanted nothing more to adopt Abby and get her away from Janice. It's just, he suddenly passed away with a heart attack and with the funeral and other things, I couldn't afford to raise a two year-old."

"I'm so sorry to hear that," Lucas sympathized, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I know this whole situation is terrible but as long as she has you for the time being, things will be okay until we can remove her."

"How much more does the judge need? She's clearly not safe there!"

"I know, I know," Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. "My wife said she's opening up more to the other kids in the class. She made us a picture, you should really see it. She's got a lot of talent for a little girl."

Jean smiled proudly, her eyes wandering to the picture of Abby she had placed on the end table next to her. "She doesn't normally do well around new people, but I must tell you, your wife…I don't know what she does, but Abby talks about her non-stop. I can't get her to shut up sometimes!"

"Brooke's the same way," Lucas laughed, twiddling his thumbs in his lap. "I can promise you this will all be over soon. I won't sleep until I know she's safe."

"Thank you, Lucas," Jean leaned forward, embracing the younger man in a tight hug. "I don't really have much time left, you know? I don't have the heart to tell my poor little grandbaby that I'm dying. I just hope I can hold on long enough to know she's in a much better place."

"May, may I ask what happened to Abby's father?"

"My son," Jean began quietly, letting out a tiny sigh before she continued. "Paul, was his name, he, he died in a car accident when Abby was one. He loved that little girl with all his heart and even worked three jobs to make ends meet. Janice…well Janice wasn't much of a help so Paul would sometimes have to take Abby to work with him and even though she was just a baby, she loved him with all of her little heart too."

Lucas paused, making sure Jean was finished. He gave her shoulders a gentle squeeze and couldn't help but smile at how much she seemed to have admired her late son. If only Dan could have such nice things to say about him and Nathan.

"Do you mind if I go talk to her?" Lucas asked in a small voice. "I mean, if that's okay with you. I don't want to intrude, I did drop by unannounced."

"No, no, you're more than welcome to. If you go down the hall and take a right, her bedroom's the first one there.

"Thanks," Lucas rose to his feet, taking his time as he began the journey down the long and windy hallway. He stopped outside Abby's door, his heart breaking when he heard the soft, audible cries coming from the inside. With a gentle knock, he slowly opened the door popping his head in to see Abby in the middle of the floor with tears streaming down her pale cheeks. "Hey, cutie, what's wrong?"

"Lucas?" Abby blinked back her tears, a small smile forming her lips when Lucas stepped further into the room and sat down next to her. "Barbie's head fell off!" she cried, holding the head in one hand and the doll's body in the other.

"I think we can fix that," Lucas promised, taking the pieces into his hand and simply popping Barbie's head back on. "See? She's as good as new."

"Thanks!" Abby squealed happily, launching forward into his arms. "Barbie's head fell off when I tried brushing her hair! Silly, Barbie!" Lucas nodded his head, finding it absolutely adorable at how she pronounced 'Barbie' and 'hair.' "Is Miss Brooke with you, Mr. Lucas?"

"No, she's at home," Lucas told her, his smile fading when Abby nodded sullenly. She crawled over to the bed and grabbed her stuffed monkey, hugging it tight to her chest when Lucas came over and sat next to her. "How's Bananas doing?"

"He's good," Abby whispered, petting the soft fur. "Do you think Miss Brooke would be mad if I brought him to school with me on Monday? I want him to meet her!"

"I'm sure she'd love to meet him," Lucas nodded, giving the stuffed animal a gentle pat before he got down to business. "I know you don't like doing this, but do you mind if I ask you a couple more questions about your mommy?"

Abby sniffled, reluctantly looking up at Lucas. "O-okay."

"I promise, it will be over before you know it," Lucas said, retrieving the small notebook from his back pocket. "How's your mom been?"

"She says I have to stay with nana for a while," Abby swung her legs over the bed, burying her face into the monkey before she continued. "But I like staying with nana, she's way more nicer than mommy. When do I get to live with nana?"

"Soon," Lucas tapped her nose, stuffing the notebook back into his pocket. She had been safe for most of the weekend and that's all that mattered to him right now. "How long have you been staying with your nana for?"

"Since Friday," Abby informed him with a smile. "Nana picked me up from school and she met Miss Brooke! I'm really glad nana got to meet her because she tells me I talk about her all the time so now she's glad she can put a face to the name!"

"Well that's good," Lucas said, a bit taken aback when the tiny girl wrapped her arms around his waist. He patted her head and shifted her small body into his lap so he could give her a proper hug. "What's wrong?"

"I don't want to ever leave nana," Abby confessed with a teary smile. "And I never want to go back to living with mommy. She's mean and I don't like her anymore! When, when I tell her I love you, mommy, I don't mean it."

"Oh, sweetie," Lucas hugged her trembling body tight, rocking her back and forth when she sobbed into his shoulder. His heart was slowly breaking and he was willing to fight to the death with the judge until he could get an earlier date. "This will all be over soon, Abby, I promise. And like I told your grandmother, I won't sleep until you're safe."

"You're my hero, Lucas."

Hearing that four word sentence only made him want to fight harder.

--

"Hales," Brooke groaned, shaking her best friend who had passed out I her lap while they were watching a sappy movie. "Your fat head is making my legs numb."

"Sorry," Haley replied sleepily, squinting to see the clock. "It's nearly 3:30? Oh, man, I should probably get home. I know Lucas will be home soon and you'll disappear upstairs to do what you do every time I call."

"You're just jealous," Brooke winked, giggling when Haley gagged. "You don't have to go, Baby Haley. Stay and entertain me! Want me to make you some macaroni and cheese? Huh? Huh?"

Haley gave in, never declining Brooke's bribe of Mac and cheese. "Okay, fine! But after I'm done eating, I really have to go. Okay? Okay?"

"Okay," Brooke repeated, disappearing into the kitchen as Haley flopped back down on the couch and flipped through the television channels.

Lucas opened the door slowly, peeking his head in to see if his wife was anywhere in sight. "Hales!"

Haley looked around, trying to figure out who was calling her name. "God?"

"Haley, get over here!" Lucas rolled his eyes, pushing Haley's head to the side a bit when she bounced over with a giggle. "Where's, Brooke?"

"In the kitchen, why?"

"Okay, good," Lucas whispered, pushing past Haley as she stared at the box in his hands skeptically. "Don't say anything," he warned, making sure she agreed before he reached into the box and pulled out a tiny Pug puppy.

"Oh my god!"

"Haley," he hissed, cradling the whimpering dog in his hands. "You scared, Frank!"

"You…you named him, Frank?" Haley laughed, placing her head in her hands when Lucas scowled. "I'm sorry, who names their dog, Frank?"

"I do," Lucas defended, turning to the side when Haley went to pet the puppy. "Keep your grubby little paws off him, you got that? He doesn't appreciate when people make fun of his name."

Haley blinked, shaking her head at how childish Lucas was being. "You're really starting to worry me, Luke. Do you need to get tested?"

"Get out of my house," Lucas told her, tilting his head back to the open door. "I'm serious, Hales. This is Brooke's surprise and I don't want you ruining it for her."

"What about my macaroni and cheese?" Haley asked with a pout, holding open the door when Lucas tried shutting it on her. "Lucas!"

"I'll mail it to you," Lucas finalized, placing Frank back down in the box before shutting the door with his hip. "Brooke? I'm home."

Brooke skipped into the living room with a squeal, too busy to notice Lucas stepping in front of the box. She jumped into his arms and kissed his cheek noisily. "I missed you husband. How was work?"

"Pretty good," he said, kissing her lips before setting her down to the floor. "Hey, I got you something so close your eyes," he instructed, lifting the puppy out of the box when Brooke did as she was told. "Okay, open them!"

"Oh, oh my god," Brooke cowered back as Lucas pushed Frank into her arms, making a face when the tiny puppy began licking all over her face. "Lucas, you bought a dog?"

"His name's Frank!" Lucas exclaimed, petting the dog on the head as Brooke tried desperately to get it to stop licking her face. "I saw him at the pet store the other day and I couldn't stop thinking about him and isn't he just perfect? Look, he likes you already!"

"Yeah, yeah," Brooke laughed nervously, setting Frank down. She couldn't help but giggle as he began running around the room, struggling to hop on the couch. "Is he house broken?"

"Um," Lucas trailed off, making a face when there was now a wet spot on their rug. Brooke squealed in disgust and placed her hands on her hips as she glared up at her husband. "No?"

"You're lucky you're cute, Frank," Brooke sighed, bending down to scratch behind the Pug's ears. Lucas bent down next to her, dangling one of the many bones he had purchased in front of Frank's face. "Can I ask you one question?"

"Sure."

"Why is his name, Frank?"

"I happen to like it," Lucas said in a mock snooty tone, scooping the puppy up into his arms and disappearing into the kitchen with Brooke hot on his heels. "Here, do you wanna fill his bowl up with water? He had a long car ride so he's probably thirsty."

"It's like a ten minute ride!" Brooke shook her head with a laugh, watching the tiny puppy practically drown its face in the oversized bowl of water. "Aw, normally I'm more of a cat person…but he's just so adorable! Yes you are, Frank," she cooed as the dog let out a tiny bark. "Oh my god! Did you hear that? He said, Brooke!"

"Brooke, that's a little too far," Lucas chuckled, wrapping an arm around her waist while Frank happily ate his food in the corner. "What did you do all morning?"

"Well, Hales came over like she normally does," Brooke informed him, taking her eyes off the dog to look up at him. "We had breakfast, watched movies and I missed you," she pouted, closing her eyes when Lucas kissed her forehead. "How was your day?"

Lucas took a deep breath, pulling her in closer as he slowly began to break the news. "I went and saw Abby today."

"Abby?" Brooke raised her eyebrows. "Abby, the girl in my class, Abby?" When Lucas nodded, she felt her stomach tighten, burying her face into his shoulder. "Lucas, please tell me it's because you're-"

"Trying to help her," Lucas whispered into her hair, holding her tight incase she was going to break free and yell at him for keeping that a secret too. "I just, I just didn't want to tell you because…"

"You were trying to protect me?" Brooke's eyes filled with tears.

"Yeah," he agreed softly, breathing a sigh of relief when she wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his lips. "What was that for?"

"For everything," Brooke sniffled, smiling a bit when she felt Frank's paws against her legs. She picked him up and leaned back into Lucas, giggling when the puppy began to chew on Lucas' tie. "For this silly dog that you named, Frank, for…for just being the greatest husband I could ever ask for."

"So, you're not mad I kept this from you?"

"No," Brooke shook her head, allowing him to take Frank when he kept staring down at the dog and then back up at her. "I'm kind of glad, I probably would have freaked out anyways if you first told me."

"Yeah, I know," Lucas boasted, using Frank as a shield when she tried hitting him. "I'm not really supposed to discuss things but I can assure you, everything will be much better within a month."

Brooke nodded, feeling much better about the upcoming weeks at school. "Will she go live with her grandmother after? From what Abby tells me she's seems to have done so much for her."

"Yeah," Lucas nodded, running his hands through her hair after he set Frank down on his feet. Brooke smiled and snuggled into his arms as they listened to the tiny yapping coming from their newest houseguest. "Except there's one thing."

"What, what do you mean?"

"Abby's grandmother has cancer," Lucas started slowly, rubbing Brooke's shoulders when she let out a tiny gasp. "She hasn't got much time left and I'm doing my best to get Abby out of there so when she dies, she knows Abby's safe."

"Where does, what happens to Abby when her grandmother dies?" Brooke asked in a small voice, wiping her tears away when Lucas remained silent. "Lucas," she poked him gently, trying to get where he was going with this. "What's gonna happen to her? You're not gonna put her in a home, are you?"

"No, no, calm down, Brooke, calm down," Lucas soothed her, taking her shaking body into his arms. He stroked her hair and took a deep breath, hoping the next sentence out of his mouth would make all her dreams come true. "When Abby's grandmother dies, she, she wants us to take her in."


	8. Pin Your Wings

**AN: Eek, I am SO sorry it took forever to update this. The last chapter screwed me up and currently this story is all over the place right now. This was all just off the top of my head so I have to sit down and re-plan it out but I promise it won't take me another two months to update. Thank you for being so patient with me and please tell me what you think!**

--

"_Momma! Momma!"_

_Disheveled, Brooke appeared seconds later, a smile forming on her face when she glanced down at the girl who resembled her in every way. "Yes?"_

"_Hi," the little girl giggled, bouncing up and down in the crib when Brooke came closer, trying not to let the lack of sleep get to her. "Momma, out!"_

"_You should be sleeping," Brooke shook her head in amusement, lifting the infant into her arms and settling down in the nearby rocking chair. "Momma wants to sleep."_

"_No sleep," Ella shook her head, pressing her hand against Brooke's cheek when she yawned loudly. "Play, let's play!"_

"_How about we play let's go to sleep?" Brooke peered down at the pint size girl, tickling her slightly when she didn't seem to like that idea. "Do you know what time it is, Ella Bella?"_

"_Playtime," Ella nodded seriously, hitting Brooke with Mr. Waffles, someone very familiar to Brooke. "We wake daddy?"_

"_If you would like to live to see your third birthday, I think not," Brooke smiled, smoothing the brown hair out of Ella's face. "So, what are you doing up? Are you worried about making the mortgage too?"_

_Ella blinked, frowning when her pink pacifier was still in the crib. "Binky, momma."_

_Brooke set her down to her feet and watched Ella scamper over, reaching her tiny hands through the bars to retrieve the object that had seem to double as her best friend. Mr. Waffles fell to the floor and Ella ran back to Brooke, climbing back on her lap and making the chair rock when she jumped into her mother's arms._

"_We play hide and seek, ssh," she instructed, her voice slightly muffled by the pacifier she was sucking away on. "Hide from Mr. Waffles!"_

"_Why don't you hide in the crib?" Brooke suggested smartly, biting her lip when Ella didn't like that idea at all. "Can you back to bed, baby? Momma had a very, very long day and if she doesn't go to sleep soon, she'll cry."_

"_No cry, momma," Ella gasped, hugging Brooke's neck tightly. "You sleep with me?"_

"_I think I'm too big for the crib, babe," Brooke laughed, leaning back in the chair when Ella slid down her legs and ran over to Mr. Waffles. "I'd break it."_

"_Cause you too big for it," Ella smiled widely, shrieking when Brooke got off the chair and began chasing her around the room. "I sorry, momma, I sorry!"_

_Brooke grinned and cornered the little girl, scooping her up and tickling her until Mr. Waffles fell to the ground and Ella's arm flailed about aimlessly. "Are you really sorry?"_

"_Yes," Ella removed the pacifier, planting a wet kiss on Brooke's cheek. "I make a funny joke, momma! Only kidding!"_

"_I guess I can forgive you," Brooke scrunched up her nose, hugging Ella to her body when the little girl clapped in excitement. "Do you love me more than daddy?"_

"_I love you both the same!" Ella's eyes widened, shaking her head when Brooke shook her head innocently. "Do you love me more than daddy?"_

"_I love you both the same," Brooke imitated in a baby voice, lifting Ella above her head to blow a raspberry on her bare stomach. "If you're good and go back to sleep, I'll let you wake daddy tomorrow bright and early."_

"_Okay!" Ella squealed, securing her legs around Brooke's waist when she placed her back down on her hip. "I love you, momma."_

"_Aw," Brooke beamed, kissing Ella's forehead before settling her back down in the crib and covering her with a blanket. "I love you too, baby."_

The opposite side of the bed was cold and Lucas stretched his arm back in, sitting up a bit to see if he could get a glimpse of Brooke anywhere in the room. Every night since he had told her about Abby she'd disappear in the middle of the night and he would usually find her out cold on the couch or in the guest room.

"Brooke?" he asked tiredly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes when he finally got enough strength to drag his exhausted body of bed. Squinting his eyes when the hallway light hit, Lucas ventured down the hall, climbing down the steps when Brooke wasn't to be found in the guestroom. He ran a hand through his neatly shaven head and flicked the kitchen light on, suppressing the yawn rising in his throat when Brooke's bloodshot eyes shot up to meet his. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Ella. Her name was Ella."

"Whose name was Ella?" Lucas asked in confusion, pulling out the chair to sit down next to Brooke, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.

"The little girl in my dream," Brooke's voice cracked, silent tears running down her cheeks as she stared at the wooden table. "Our, our daughter, her name was Ella."

"Oh," Lucas said after a pause, massaging Brooke's shoulders when she remained quiet and refused to meet his gaze. "How many times have you had that dream?"

"Too many," Brooke whispered, leaning her head on Lucas' shoulder. "Every night for the past week and a half…it's always the same dream, different kid. The other night, the other night we had a boy. His name was Landon and he looked exactly like you."

She tried choking back her sob, desperately trying to find comfort in the warm embrace Lucas brought her in. The soothing circles weren't doing her any good and her body trembled against his, the tears clouding her vision when she couldn't fight it anymore.

"Brooke, you have to calm down," Lucas attempted to ease the tears, exhaling loudly when she didn't seem to want to cooperate. "Please, baby, it's only gonna make things worse if you keep doing this to yourself."

"I just can't help it," Brooke confessed tearfully, sniffling back the rest of the tears when her tired frame seemed to stop shaking for the time being. "I'm sorry, Luke, I know you have a long day tomorrow so you go back to bed, don't worry about me."

"No, no, you have to get back to bed too," Lucas corrected softly, trying to lift her body off the chair when she refused to budge. "Brooke, come on. If you're good, I'll stay up a bit longer and we can have a quickie."

"Are you serious?" Brooke asked, trying to hide the smile. "I'm sitting here bawling my eyes out and you want to have sex?"

"No?" Lucas answered cautiously, his hands caressing her thighs. "Yes?"

"Lucas Scott, how dare you take advantage of my vulnerability," Brooke's voice boomed, the humor in the situation disappearing completely.

"Brooke, I'm sorry-"

"Just forget it," she snapped angrily, pulling her arm away when Lucas tried to grab it. "I think I'm just gonna crash on the couch, I'll see you in the morning."

Lucas lost the will to protest, watching as his wife retreated into the living room, the barely audible sobs breaking the silence their argument had created. He knew Brooke's pent up anger about him being sterile was taking over and she was about to break soon, he could sense it in the way she looked at him. He marched into the living room, trying to control the blood boiling in his veins.

"I'm sorry."

"Lucas," Brooke sunk further into the couch, turning away when he looked down. "I said I just want to be alone. So please, don't apologize again. Just go to bed."

"No, I'm not sorry about that," Lucas cut her off, his tone surprising her a bit. "I'm sorry about," his voice hitched, the words settling in his mind for the first time since he revealed it to Brooke. "I'm sorry I can't give you a baby."

Hearing the plaintive crack in his voice, Brooke felt her heart drop. Here she was being selfish and she didn't even have the decency to ask how he felt about the subject. They sort of kept it swept under the rug, neither one of them having the guts to bring it up.

"I can understand why you're always so upset," Lucas continued, grabbing Brooke's arms and pulling her up to hug her tight. "And I want you to know, that if I could make this all go away, I would. But I can't, Brooke, I can't pretend that there's nothing wrong with me. I'm so sorry, Brooke."

"It's, it's not your fault," Brooke finally spoke, standing on her tip toes to place her arms around his neck, kissing his lips in the process. "God, Lucas, it's not your fault. I, I wanted to blame you…but I can't, I can't blame you for something you didn't do."

"We'll fix this," he assured her, rocking her body back and forth gently when her face buried into his shoulder. "One day we'll be a happy family, one day."

"Yeah, one day," Brooke repeated with a faint smile, glancing down when she felt Frank jumping at her knee. "But for now," she scooped the small dog up. "It's just you, me and Frank. He can be our baby; I mean he kinda looks like you."

Lucas laughed, pushing the dog away when it went to lick his face. "Are you ready for bed now?"

"I think so," Brooke yawned, grabbing Lucas' hand while she set Frank down, moaning when the little dog followed them up the stairs, yapping along the way. "This thing needs a muzzle."

"Yeah, so do you, but you don't see me complaining," Lucas joked, dodging the slap Brooke tried sending his way. He carefully slipped into bed, running his fingers through his wife's hair, relieved that the tension seemed to evaporate. "I love you, Brooke."

He glanced over at Brooke's sleeping figure, just hoping she was going to have a good night's sleep for once.

--

Abby stared at Brooke from the floor, glancing down every now and again at the Barbie's surrounding her when Brooke's head would lull forward as she tried to stay awake. She tried holding back her giggle a few times and finally got up to her feet, pulling on Brooke's sleeve when she seemed to be out of it again.

"Miss Brooke?" she asked quietly, stepping back when Brooke's head shot up. "Are you okay?"

Brooke nodded slightly, closing her eyes momentarily to gather her thoughts. "I'm fine."

"Promise?"

"Yep," Brooke replied shortly, staring down at Abby before letting out a sigh, realizing her snippy reply had gotten to her. "I'm sorry. I'm just having a bad day."

"Do you need a hug?" Abby asked quietly, frowning when Brooke simply shrugged and refused to look down at meet her anxious gaze.

"I'd love one," Brooke finally responded, her voice cracking as Abby quickly hugged the side of her body, resting her head against Brooke's arm as she held on tight. "Thanks."

"How come you're so sad?"

"It's complicated," Brooke whispered after a pause, using her free hand to stroke Abby's long hair absently. "I haven't been feeling myself the past few weeks."

"Why?"

"I, I don't know."

"Why?" Abby persisted, her curious blue eyes sparkling in the light.

"I just want something I can't have," Brooke told her simply, desperately trying to think of something to move the conversation on. The last thing she wanted was to have another breakdown in front of an innocent four year old.

"Oh," Abby nodded, clearly misunderstanding the whole situation. "Like when I want candy for breakfast and nana makes me have cereal?"

Brooke let out a genuine laugh and felt a wave of happiness hit her. She stared down at the smiling little girl and felt her heart drop; trying to figure out how someone could neglect her and tell her she didn't deserve to be in the world.

"It's not really like that, but…"

"What's it like then?" Abby asked again, jumping up into Brooke's lap. "You can tell me! I'm a very good secret keeper so you don't have to worry! Please, please, please?"

"Abby, you won't understand," Brooke tried letting her down easy, feeling terrible when she didn't look too pleased and kicked her legs.

"Please!"

"I can't. Please, please just drop it."

"No," Abby whimpered, her eyes stinging with tears as she grabbed onto Brooke's arm and began shaking it back and forth. "I wanna know! I'll tell you my secret!"

"I already know your secret," Brooke's voice cracked, instinctively wrapping her arms around Abby's small body and pulling her close. She inhaled the faint scent of the small girl's shampoo and she just held on tighter, praying this would all go away some day.

"But it's not that one!" Abby hissed in a whisper, brushing away her tears with the back of her sleeves. Brooke couldn't tell if she was lying or not and apart of her wanted to explain to Abby why she had been feeling so down, but it was too complicated for a child to understand. "It's a different one."

"How?"

"I'm not telling you," Abby pouted, crossing her arms as she fixed her gaze to the ground. "How come I can't know your secret? I won't tell, Miss Brooke!"

Brooke closed her eyes momentarily and tried to think of something Abby would easily believe and stop pestering her. "Fine, you want to know my secret?"

"Yes!"

"My secret is that I don't have a secret." She knew that was a long shot and wasn't surprised when Abby jumped off her lap and stalked over to the corner, gazing out the window as tiny sobs racked her body. "Abby, I'm sorry."

"You don't like me anymore!" the little girl cried, trying to avoid Brooke when she slowly walked over to her, trying to grab her in a hug.

Brooke shook her head and tried blocking Abby as she moved her way past her, biting her lips to stop the curse words that were soon going to escape her lips. "That's not true at all, Abby! Of course I still like you."

"You're lying to me," Abby protested, her lip quivering when she finally gave in and let Brooke kneel down in front of her. "You would tell me if you liked me!"

"I haven't told anyone I like," Brooke said, her hand running up and down Abby's trembling arms. "I don't want them to feel bad for me. I don't want pity."

"Oh," Abby looked down at her shoes, wiping her eyes one last time before she looked back up at Brooke sadly. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

After a pause, more tears cascaded down Abby's cheeks before she got her words out, stumbling over them a bit as Brooke looked on worried. "How come, how come my mommy doesn't love me? What did I do to make her hate me?"

Brooke didn't know what to say and simply shook her head, grabbing the girl and engulfing her in a big hug. Abby threw her arms around Brooke's neck and just held on for dear life, not expecting an answer out of the older woman anytime soon.

"Your nana loves you," Brooke's voice broke, lifting Abby up into her arms. "And, Jenny loves you…"

"But not my mommy," Abby interrupted, pulling back to get a look at Brooke's watering eyes. "All the other kids have mommies who love them! How come I don't? It's not fair, Miss Brooke! I want a mommy who loves me!"

"You'll get a mommy who loves you, I promise," Brooke told her, the guilt forming in the pit of her stomach when she thought of Lucas' words. "This will all be over soon, I swear to you. It will all be okay."

As Abby's sobs finally began to die down, she rested her head on Brooke's shoulder, finding comfort in the soothing rocking motions. She idly twisted the stray pieces of the brunette's hair and tightened her legs around Brooke's waist when she shifted her around when the weight became uncomfortable.

"I wanna tell you my secret now," Abby swallowed, finally meeting Brooke's nervous gaze when she looked down at her. "I don't wanna live with nana."

--

Brooke nearly broke the front door as she threw it open, searching around the living room for any sign of her husband. "Lucas!" she yelled, kicking the door behind her and ignoring Frank as he came up to greet her. "Lucas!"

She stomped up the stairs and could hear the shower running, running into the bedroom and throwing the door open, pulling back the curtain. "Lucas!"

"Jesus, Brooke!" Lucas exclaimed, dropping the bar of soap in fright. "What are you doing? What's wrong?"

Brooke's words came out incoherent as he shut the water off, grabbing a towel before stepping out of the shower to tend to his hysterical wife. "What happened?"

"Lucas," Brooke shook her head, holding him tightly and ignoring her wet clothes for now as his body pressed into hers. "Abby can't live with her grandmother."

"What?"

"I said she can't live with her grandmother!" Brooke screeched, pulling back and shaking his larger body slightly. "You can't let her; she told me she doesn't want to."

"Oh, Brooke," Lucas sighed, guiding her trembling body over to the bed. "She's probably just saying that. I wouldn't worry about it."

"No, no," Brooke refused to believe him, pounding her fists on the bed as the tears came pooling out of her eyes. "Something's wrong, something's not right about this. She was shaking when Jean picked her up and I, I just have a really bad feeling about this."

"Okay, okay, calm down," Lucas told her comfortingly, holding her tight when he sat down next to her on the bed, Frank licking the water off the floor. "What exactly happened when she picked her up? Did she seem scared?"

Brooke nodded, trying to get her leg to stop shaking. "Yeah, she wouldn't, she wouldn't let go of my hand and she wasn't excited like she normally is."

Lucas rubbed her back and quickly slipped his clothes back on, running his hands over his face before he spoke again. "Everything's all set, Brooke," he told her quietly, turning around to ignore her reaction. "Tomorrow, she's gone and it's all set up."

"W-what?"

"Janice's neighbor," he began, sitting back down on the bed. "She gave us a tip and we've got an undercover cop going to her house and Janice thinks he's gonna be giving her whatever the fuck she uses."

"Is Abby going to be there?"

"Most likely, yes."

"I'm going then," Brooke stated firmly, quickly cutting him off when Lucas went to protest and tell her she couldn't. "No, Lucas. Don't you dare tell me otherwise because that little girl is going to be scared to death and she cannot see her mother being taken away in handcuffs, do you hear me? I'm coming whether you like it or not."

"Brooke, you can't come, you wouldn't be allowed."

"No, I'm coming," she tried to fight the tears, gripping his shoulder tightly when he kissed her forehead and shook his head sadly. "I can't, I can't do this, Luke."

"Do what?" he asked softly, trying to calm her down by rubbing soothing circles on the small of her back. "You don't have to do anything."

"That's the thing," Brooke's shaky voice filled his ears. "I can't just sit back and do nothing! But at the same time…at the same time I'm not ready."

Lucas sighed, breathing in her familiar scent before speaking again. "What are you not ready for?"

She drew tiny patterns on his bare chest and collapsed back into this arms; the sobs overpowering her body and prohibiting her from speaking properly. "To adopt Abby or whatever, I'm not ready to take her in."

Lucas fell silent, feeling his world shatter at his feet as Brooke tore away and disappeared out the door. And for some reason, he couldn't find the strength to chase after her.


	9. You Can Have My Absence Of Faith

**AN: I know, I know, this has taken forever. I have no excuse so I'm just going to keep this short and sweet.**

**--**

"Can I hold it?"

Brooke nodded her head with a smile and passed Frank's leash over to Jenny, making sure her tiny hand was still resting in her own. "Just make sure he doesn't go too far."

"I won't," Jenny rolled her eyes, giggling when Brooke tugged on her arm. "Auntie Brooke, can I ask you a question?"

"No."

"Please?" Jenny whined, stomping her foot until Brooke finally agreed. "Okay, well, okay, um, I saw mommy and daddy doing something last night."

"Oh, oh," Brooke swallowed, trying to keep her cheeks from turning red. "Well, uh, well what did you see last night? Were they, so help me God, were they clothed?"

"No."

"Okay, how about we get some ice cream?" Brooke quickly changed the subject, helping Jenny with the leash when Frank became excited at the sight of another dog. "Doesn't that sound so good?"

"Yes!" Jenny bit at Brooke's bribe, completely forgetting about their previous topic of discussion. "Where is Uncle Lucas?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Brooke patted Jenny's blonde head. "I don't know, Jen. Uncle Lucas…Uncle Lucas is probably working."

"Can we go visit him?"

"I think he's busy."

"Why?"

"He just is," Brooke snapped, leaning down to get eye level with the trembling little girl hugging the dog's leash tight to her chest. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm just having a bad day."

"It's okay," Jenny sniffled, leaning forward into Brooke's embrace. "Mommy says you have bad days sometimes."

"Ha, she's one to talk," Brooke laughed out loud, reminding herself to bring up the subject later to Peyton. "What else does mommy say about me?"

Being the four-year old, Jenny began to list off all the things she overhead Peyton saying to Jake late one night when they thought she was sleeping. "She said you'd probably lose your head if it wasn't attached to your neck, um, that sometimes she thinks your brain doesn't function properly."

"Oh?" Brooke asked in interest, finding this utterly amusing. "Anything else you'd like to tell me?"

"I can't tell you the other one," Jenny turned away shyly, taking bigger steps to catch up to Frank when he tried running further ahead. "I promised mommy not to say anything."

"Is it bad?" Brooke asked quietly, suddenly feeling like the child when Jenny reached up and gave her a tight hug around her waist. "Jenny, please tell me."

"Promise not to tell her?"

"I promise."

"She said…" Jenny began quietly, staring up into Brooke's misty eyes. "Mommy said she would feel real bad for the baby you and Uncle Lucas have one day."

"What?" Brooke's voice rose, startling the little girl immensely. "Well, you tell her that she won't have to worry. We're never having a baby."

"I'm sorry!" Jenny squeaked as Brooke began to storm away, struggling to keep up with her aunt as stomped down the street. "Auntie Brooke! Auntie Brooke!"

Brooke stopped short, turning around to grab Jenny in her arms. "You should have never told me that, Jenny."

"You wanted me to!"

"Let's just go home," Brooke said in a low voice, leaning down to scoop Frank up in her free arm to make the walk home go faster.

--

Lucas found himself parked outside the run-down apartment complex where Abby and her mother lived. He scanned the old, rusted playground and smiled when he spotted Abby trying to swing herself on the metal swing set.

"Need some help?" he was careful not to scare her once he mustered up the courage to approach her.

"Mr. Lucas!" Abby screamed delightfully, launching herself into his oversized arms. "What are you doing here? Are you here to play?"

"Yep," he half-lied, smoothing her hair back when the soft wind blew it gently. "I saw you having trouble on the swings."

"Yeah," Abby pouted, almost embarrassed. "Jenny knows how to swing by herself. She said her daddy taught her…"

"I'll teach you," Lucas cut in immediately after he saw her bottom stick out. "It's not that hard to learn, I promise."

"O-okay," Abby nodded, reluctantly gripping the chain handles when Lucas sat her on the swing. "Wait, wait! I'm scared."

Lucas kneeled down in front of her trembling figure and smiled. "I promise you're not going to fall." Abby sniffled and shook her head, sliding off the swing while trying to steady herself. "That's alright, you can learn some other time."

Abby wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve and glanced around the other rusty playground equipment, debating whether or not to tell Lucas what her and Brooke talked about earlier on in school. "Mr. Lucas? I have to tell you something."

"Oh?" Lucas looked down at her, grabbing her tiny hand and leading her over to the wobbly bench located a few feet away. "What's on your mind, kiddo?"

"I told a lie today," Abby admitted quietly, her lips quivering when she looked up into the older man's eyes. "I think, I think I made Miss Brooke mad at me."

"Trust me," Lucas rubbed her shoulder comfortingly. "I don't think there's anything you could say to her that would make her mad. She's just been having a rough time."

"Why?"

"It's a long story."

"Why?"

"Abby," Lucas warned, his tone mirroring Brooke's from earlier.

"Sorry," the little girl apologized, fidgeting nervously with her hands. "At school I told Miss Brooke I didn't want to live with nana."

"Is that the truth?" Lucas swallowed, taking deep breaths to calm himself when Abby took her time to answer. "Abby, is there something you need to tell me?"

"I just wanted Miss Brooke to be happy," Abby sniffled, tears trickling down her pale cheeks as she continued on. "She was sad about something and I thought, Mr. Lucas, I'm sorry, I just want Miss Brooke to be happy."

"Me too," Lucas whispered, lifting her small body onto his lap. "But, why did you think you not wanting to live with your nana would make her happy?"

Abby shrugged her shoulders, the words at the tip of her tongue. "Because, I know she wants a baby and if I didn't want to live with nana…"

"Oh, Abby," Lucas connected the dots, his heart skipping a beat as he shifted Abby into his arms to soothe her a bit more. "What you did, what you did was nice, but it's not nice to lie to someone to make them feel better."

"I'm sorry," Abby pouted, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "Can you tell her that?"

"I will," he kissed her forehead softly, setting her back down on the bench. "Do you remember our plan for later?"

Abby nodded her head, sticking her thumb into her mouth shyly. "I'm scared."

"I know, but just think where you'll be in a few hours."

"With nana?"

"With nana," Lucas nodded, relieved Abby was too young to catch the uneasiness lingering in his voice.

--

"You are aware the cow's already dead, right?"

"Shut up."

Haley held up her hands in defense as Brooke continued to smack the steak hardly with the meat cleaver her crazy aunt sent once she found out she was married. "Trouble in paradise?"

"Shut up."

"Brooke," Haley sighed, gently rubbing Brooke's arm when the brunette tossed the instrument into the sink and stared down at the mangled meat. "What's wrong?"

Brooke turned around, welcoming Haley's hug once her eyes began to water again, Peyton's eyes floating around in her head. "It's nothing…well it's just something Jenny told me Peyton said."

"What did she say?"

"Forget it, Hales," Brooke pushed her away, tossing what was supposed to be her dinner out and rummaging through the cabinets for something else to eat. "So, what do you feel like for dinner?"

"I'm kinda craving chicken parm."

"Great," Brooke clapped her hands. "Get to work."

Haley rolled her eyes and watched Brooke boil the water, standing on her tip toes to grab the box of spaghetti. "I'm only doing this because…well I don't know why."

"I've got you whipped," Brooke joked, making a whipping motion with her hand. "Face it, Hales, you just can't say no."

"Hey, Brooke," Haley broke the silence that lingered in the air after Brooke's crude remark. "Can, can I tell you something?"

"Yeah, what's up?" Brooke asked in somewhat concern, placing the sauce on the counter when Haley absently stirred the spaghetti around. "Earth to Haley," she snapped her fingers in front of the blonde's face. "Haley!"

Haley jumped in place and finally collided with Brooke's confused face, placing the fork back down before keeping her gazed fixed to the ground. "It's kind of big."

"Oh?" Brooke tried to coax it out of Haley, shaking her body back and forth gently when the blonde seemed to be a mute. "No offense, but I'm not in the mood to guess."

"Never mind," Haley all of a sudden hissed, going back to stirring the spaghetti. "Just…forget I said anything."

"Haley, I hate when you do this," Brooke groaned, pushing Haley away from the spaghetti before turning the stove off. "We're not eating until you tell me."

Haley swallowed past the lump in her throat, studying the tile on Brooke's floor until the brunette tilted her chin to look upwards. "I, I think that my-"

Watching her best friend's face crumble, Brooke let out a tiny gasp when Haley slammed her fist against the marble counter, cursing when the pain shot through her hand. It was the first time she was going to admit this out loud and the bottled up emotions were about to burst.

"Hales," Brooke whispered kindly, rubbing her hand up and down Haley's back when she leaned into her embrace, clutching the collar of her shirt for dear life. "Do you want to sit down? Here, just sit in the chair and take your time."

"If I say it out loud," Haley began, voice muffled by Brooke's shoulder. "Then it's for real and I can't…I can't admit to myself my marriage is over."

"You just did," Brooke found herself saying, closing her eyes when Haley merely scoffed and attempted to stop the pool of tears. "Oh, sweetie, I'm sure you're just in a rut."

"No," Haley pulled back, her tone borderline harsh. "It's over, Brooke, okay? I filed for divorce the other day and if the bastard ever comes home…then it's over."

"I'm so sorry," Brooke bit back her own tears, pulling Haley back into her arms when she finally broke down. "Have you at least tried talking to him? You were good for a while."

"It just goes in one ear, out the other."

Brooke rested her chin on top of Haley's head, gently rocking her friend back and forth until she felt Haley was coherent enough to continue on. "Are you sure this is what you want to do, Hales? I don't want you to sign the papers and then regret it."

Haley paused, gnawing on her bottom lip until it threatened to draw blood. "I'm sorry for dumping this on you," her voice cracked, slicing Brooke's heart in two. "I just have no one else to really talk to. My parents went away and my, my sisters don't have time for me."

"Did you try calling them?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

"I just," Haley bit out through gritted teeth, her fingernails digging into Brooke's back as she took a minute to regain her composure. "I just know."

"Fine," Brooke held up her hands in defense, backing down before she picked a fight with Haley. She glanced at the clock and bit back her sigh, wondering when _her_ husband was coming home. "Why don't you go watch TV or something and I'll finish this up."

"There's also something else too," Haley whispered, her eyes connecting with Brooke's, guilt forming in the pit of her stomach when she saw how concerned she was. "I'm-"

"Auntie Brooke!" Jenny whimpered, running into the room with Frank trailing behind her. Haley immediately pulled back and wiped her eyes, shifting her focus to the little dog yapping at her feet. "Frank won't play with me!"

"Aw, sweetie," Brooke rubbed Jenny's head. "He doesn't really like to play."

"Boo," Jenny pouted, narrowing her eyes at the dog. "Will you guys play with me?"

"We're making dinner," Brooke answered quickly, turning the stove back on when Jenny looked at Haley for a different answer. "I thought you were watching Dora?"

"I got bored," Jenny sighed, pulling at Haley's arms when she paid no attention to her. "Auntie Haley! You play with me?"

Haley sniffled and dabbed her eyes one last time, turning around to face the eager girl. "I don't think so, Jen," she lifted her up slowly, rubbing her back when tears began to surface in Jenny's eyes. "I think I'm gonna head home."

"I thought you were staying for dinner?" Brooke raised an eyebrow, pushing Jenny up on her hip when Haley passed her over. "I can't cook this alone, Hales. I'm pretty sure Peyton would kill me if I gave her daughter food poisoning."

"Just, just leave me alone," Haley snapped, startling both girls with her tone. Jenny buried her face into Brooke's neck and held on tight, not used to seeing this side of Haley. "I have to find my husband so we can figure all this shit out."

"Oh, you said a bad word!" Jenny gasped, giggling against Brooke's shoulder.

"Shut up," Haley rolled her eyes, storming out of the room in her normal dramatic fashion.

"You stay right here," Brooke instructed forcefully as she set Jenny down on her feet, running after Haley once she got out the door. "Haley Elizabeth James! You come back here right now!"

"I said leave me alone!" Haley yelled over her shoulder, cursing loudly when she knocked into Lucas. "Let me go!"

"What?"

"Haley, you can't just walk out like that!" Brooke raised her voice a bit, pulling her best friend out of her husband's arms. "You can't just tell me you and Nathan are getting a divorce and then just storm out!"

"You're getting divorced?" Lucas piped in, wincing when Brooke smacked him in the arm and tried pushing him away. "Since when?"

"Thanks, big mouth!" Haley hissed at Brooke, digging through her purse to retrieve her missing car keys. "Why don't you mind your own business, Lucas!"

"Don't talk to him like that," Brooke snapped in her husband's defense, completely forgetting about all the unresolved tension between the two of them this afternoon. "It's not his fault his brother's an absolute dick."

"Alright, stop it," Lucas demanded, holding Haley back when she looked like she was about to ram Brooke right into the front door. "Just calm down before Jenny sees you two fighting and tells Peyton."

"Oh, speaking of," Brooke fumed, keeping her glare locked on Haley. "Do you know what she said about us?" Lucas shook his head, letting out a sigh when he knew he was about to find out. "Peyton said she'd feel sorry for the child we bring into this world!"

"Well, it's a good thing you can't have kids, huh?"

Brooke felt like she had been punched in the stomach and grabbed onto Lucas when she felt her knees give in. She didn't have time to figure out where Haley found out; all she cared about was retaliating. "At least my husband _loves_ me!"

Haley swallowed past the lump in her throat, biting back her tears, knowing Brooke would indeed make fun of her for that. "Is that all you've got?"

"You have no right," Brooke's voice cracked, trying to find comfort in the soothing circles Lucas was rubbing on her back. "You have no right, Haley!"

"I, I'm sorry," Haley finally apologized, staring down at the ground. "I didn't mean to! It just, it just slipped out."

"Who told you that?" Lucas asked for Brooke when she cried into his chest, trying to remain calm as Haley resembled his wife. The blonde merely flinched, biting her lip as Lucas sent a death glare directly at her. "Haley! Who the hell told you that?"

"I accidentally found the letter that said it," Haley barely whispered, stepping forward to try and wrap Brooke in a hug. "I'm so sorry, it just slipped out. I didn't mean it."

"Just leave me alone," Brooke snapped coldly, shrugging Haley's arms off of her when the tiny blonde wouldn't give up. "Haley, go. Please…just get out of my sight."

Lucas felt Brooke leave his arms and watched as his wife slowly made her way to the front door, not even looking back to see her best friend stand frozen in the middle of their yard. He didn't know what to say; it was a lose lose situation either way. Brooke would yell at him for going against her, and Haley would yell at him for not sticking up for her.

"Hales…"

"I'll," Haley swallowed, swiping her tears furiously. "I'll see you later."

"Alright," he whispered, studying as her small figure retreated towards her car. Letting out a sigh, Lucas trudged back in the open door and nearly blew a gasket when he saw Jenny sitting in a mess of dog food, giggling as Frank ran around her in circles, licking up the treats scattered around. "Jenny! What did you do?"

"I just wanted to feed him," Jenny replied sheepishly, cowering back when Lucas bent down in a huff and grabbed Frank, shooing him away. "I'm sorry, Uncle Lucas."

"It's fine," Lucas cut her off shortly, kicking the mess together before lifting Jenny into his arms. "I'm just gonna take you home, okay? Do you have everything?"

"Mommy was coming later!"

"But, I need you to go home now."

"Why?"

Lucas took a deep breath, setting Jenny down on the couch before stuffing random things into her tiny backpack that practically fit in his palm. "Because."

"Because why?"

"Jenny," Lucas' tone raised, scaring the little girl immensely. Jenny quickly covered her mouth with her hands in an effort to stop herself from saying another thing, grabbing her uncle's hand when he told her it was time to go.

"Can I go say bye to Auntie Brooke?"

"No."

Jenny's bottom lip quivered as she looked up the stairs, her feet dragging against the floor as Lucas pulled her to his side. "Are you mad at me?"

"No, Jenny," Lucas whispered, bending down to get eye level with the small girl. "We're just having…we're just having big people problems."

"Oh," Jenny nodded, wrapping her arms around Lucas' neck. "Can I help?"

"You can't, sorry," Lucas smiled sadly, throwing Jenny over his shoulder and sighing contently when her laugh was like music to his ears. "Let's get you home."

--

Brooke rolled over on the large bed, pounding her fist into the mattress when Haley's words kept ringing in her mind. Who was Haley to say something like that? Out of all people, she expected to hear a snide remark like that from Peyton, not her soft spoken, angelic like best friend.

She could hear the soft footsteps of her husband getting closer, padding against the carpeted stairs. She sighed into the pillow, throwing it over her face and grunting Lucas removed the pillow from her face and took a seat next to her.

"How are we?"

"We?" Brooke questioned, propping herself up on her right elbow to get a better look at him.

"Yeah, we," Lucas repeated in confusion. "You're not the only one affected by this."

"Sure doesn't seem like it," Brooke scoffed, shrugging her shoulders when Lucas guffawed at her statement. "Look, I'm not in the mood to talk. Go…go somewhere."

"You have to stop this," Lucas demanded, lifting Brooke into a sitting position. He looked into her moist eyes and didn't like what he saw; they were normally so vibrant, full of life. Now, they were dull and emotionless, no sign of life behind them. "Keeping this all inside isn't going to help!"

"I'm sorry, when did you become a therapist?" Brooke merely blinked, yanking her arm away when she felt Lucas' fingers digging into the skin.

"Brooke, stop it."

"Don't tell me what to do, Lucas!" her voice gradually raised, her chest rising up and down as she felt her heart pounding against it rapidly. This wasn't good; especially not for her. "I, I'm so sick of this! You think everything's going to be okay when it's not!"

"What makes you say that?" Lucas squinted, watching Brooke contently as she got up off the bed, pacing around in a circle. "Maybe if you weren't such a pessimist-"

"A pessimist?" Brooke cut him off angrily. "If anyone's being a pessimist, it's you! The past two years…I've been nothing but optimistic in this whole baby thing. You were the one who was tight lipped about it, never telling me how you felt until a couple a weeks ago."

"Because I didn't want to break your heart!"

"That worked out real well, didn't it?" Brooke spat, wanting nothing more to break down in another fit of sobs. She wasn't going to give in though. Sniffling back the fresh batch of tears, she stared straight back at her husband, clenching her fists at her sides when he advanced towards her. "Please, Luke, just leave me alone."

Lucas shook his head defiantly, peering down at her small body. "No."

"I just," Brooke gnawed on her bottom lip, leaning into his arms. "I just don't know what to do with myself anymore," her voice broke, allowing Lucas to hold her tight when his shoulders muffled her sobs. "It's all I think about, no matter how hard I try. It's, it's consuming my mind and no matter how hard I try, it just keeps coming back to this and I can't take it anymore, Lucas, I can't deal with this."

"I know," Lucas swallowed, rubbing soothing circles on her back. Brooke's trembling figure seemed to calm at the gentle touch and he was surprised when she looked up and pressed her lips against his, pushing him down on the bed. "Brooke, what are you doing?"

"I need you," Brooke confessed shakily, breaking away momentarily to quickly undo all the buttons on his shirt. "I need you, Lucas, I need you."

"I'm right here," Lucas whispered into her hair, kissing the top of her head reassuringly when she let out a tiny whimper at his movement. Brooke repositioned herself so her head was resting on his chest, legs tangled with his. "I love you."

Brooke sighed, burying her face further into Lucas' chest after hearing his soft, sincere words. "I love you too, and I'm sorry about all of this."

Lucas just nodded, running his fingers through Brooke's tangled hair as they listened to the silence lingering in the room. Neither of them knew what to say and both thought the moment was too bittersweet to end with words. Unfortunately, the vibrating of his phone in his back pocket broke the moment, Brooke sighing when Lucas quickly reached for it.

"Sorry," he apologized, pressing the oversized phone to his ear. "Hello?"

Brooke propped herself up watched Lucas' face constrict in pain, all the color draining from his face. Her stomach was in knots now as her husband's eyes shut, his hands rubbing his face after he hung the phone up.

"Luke?"

And in the cliché world they lived in, Lucas ultimately muttered four more words that were going to break her heart even more.

"Haley's in the hospital."


	10. Savior Of The Broken

**AN: Wow, an update and it hasn't been like 3 years! I just want to thank you for sticking with the story and I do plan on updating it more frequently since I have some time. Things are going to slow down after this chapter for a bit and I'm going to evenly spread things out as the story goes on. I'm working on a new story loosely based on the one-shot I wrote called 'Chicago' if you want to check it out and get some sort of idea of what it's going to be about. Well, thanks for the awesome reviews and hopefully I'll have a new chapter within a week or so!**

--

Against the soft setting of the hospital lights, her normally pretty complexion looked washed out. Unshed tears resided in her eyes, black eyeliner was smudged around her lost eyes, and her pinkish lips were slipped into a pout. Brooke glanced into the nursery and took a big breath, resting her hand on the glass when a little baby caught her gaze. From what she could see, the baby was seven pounds, five ounces and born a mere six hours ago.

"Grace Kelly," Brooke whispered to herself. "That's a pretty name."

"Nebula Poe, not so pretty," Karen's voice came from behind, startling Brooke immensely. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"It's okay," Brooke smiled; graciously accepting the plastic cup of coffee Karen was offering her. She felt the hands of her mother-in-law rub up and down her back and was grateful for the comfort, tearing her eyes away from baby Nebula. "So, do you think her parents were cracked out before or after they named her?"

"Actually," Karen leaned in closer. "I believe it's a boy."

"Damn, that sucks."

"I'll say," Karen laughed softly, studying the younger brunette carefully. "When Lucas was born I stood here for hours just looking at him. It was hard to believe he was the result of nine months of utter pain and frustration."

Brooke just nodded her head, desperately trying to change the subject before Karen could launch into more baby stories. "Look at that one; Alfie Jonas Goldberg. I bet he's gonna grow up to be a filthy lawyer. I mean, just look at those eyes."

"Aw, he's a cutie," Karen cooed, tapping her fingers against the glass when she finally got which one Brooke was talking about. "You really think he's going to be a lawyer? He looks more like a politician to me."

"When Jenny was born, Lucas and I came down here and made an occupation for the forty babies in here," Brooke let out a small laugh at the memory. "There was one kid…Ezra Baker, I think. Anyway, Luke said he was going to be a porn star."

"Oh, that's terrible."

"Yeah, but, Karen…you should have seen him! I swear he resembled Ron Jeremy in every shape and form, right down to the hair and big gut." Karen shook her head at her son's mind and pointed to the far baby on the left. "Brooke Elizabeth or Patience Heaven…where in the hell do these parents think of these names!"

"Patience Heaven…now that sounds like a porn name," Karen mused into her coffee, nudging Brooke's shoulders when she was trying to hold in a laugh. "Brooke Elizabeth…she looks like she's going to be a beautiful pre-school teacher."

"There's no need to model her after Brooke Penelope," Brooke blushed, taking a large gulp of coffee and instantly regretting it when the hot liquid burned her throat. "I think little baby Liam over there…he's definitely going to be a hustler."

"Maybe we should stop this," Karen snorted when other doting parents came by to wave at the oblivious babies, taking obnoxious photos through the glass. "How long have you been down here anyways? Lucas was looking for you."

"Just a few minutes," Brooke shrugged, following Karen to the waiting area. "It was just getting too much, you know? It was taking all my strength not to lunge over and rip Nathan's hair out…so…I took a walk and somehow ended up here."

"I don't think this is the place for you to be, sweetie," Karen patted Brooke's leg gently, squeezing it when she heard the girl sniffle. "I know it's hard, believe me, Brooke, but keeping it all inside is going to make it worse."

Brooke grabbed a tissue from the side table and quietly blew her nose, crumpling it into her hands when she couldn't stand the silence. "I just think about all those silly little pregnancies scares in high school."

"Oh, how I remember those," Karen held a hand over her beating heart, smiling a bit when she heard Brooke's giggle. "I thought I was going to have more gray hair than my own mother."

"And I thought I was going to peak at sixteen," Brooke mumbled. "But, now that I know I can't have kids…it's just seemed so silly back then. When you're in high school, the last thing you want is a child and then you grow up and want…"

Karen felt her heart constrict in pain as she watched her daughter-in-law's face crumble. She offered a meek hug, placing her hands back down at her side when Brooke ultimately refused, furiously rubbing her eyes with palms.

"She…she can't just throw that in my face, Karen!" Brooke sobbed quietly, her bottom lip quivering as she tried to stop her knees from shaking. "Just because her husband is an ass…it…she can't just say that to me and expect it all to be okay! I know she's in the hospital because she can't drive to save her life…but it's just not fair."

"I know, honey," Karen agreed, letting her fingers run through Brooke's tangled hair, brushing the knots out patiently. "It's not my place to tell you this, Brooke, but Haley's just having a hard time."

"Karen, please…"

"Just hear me out?" Karen almost pleaded, sending Brooke a thankful smile when she finally caved and motioned for her to continue. "Did she tell you about Noah?"

"No."

"Well, I guess he's back in Rehab and Jimmy and Lydia went out to Texas to sort things out," Karen informed her gently, pausing a minute so Brooke could collect her thoughts.

"I didn't know…"

"No one did, Brooke," Karen told her reassuringly. "Anyways, Haley wants to move out there to help him once he gets out and Nathan told her if she went, their marriage would be over."

"Why would she risk her marriage to help her dead beat brother?" Brooke asked out loud, cursing when she realized that question didn't stay in the confines of her own mind. "I mean, Noah's never really did anything for her except cause pain."

"She loves him, Brooke," Karen put it simply. "You know she's idolized Noah ever since she was old enough to talk. He's her family, Brooke, and you don't turn your back on family."

"Is there going to be some Mr. Rogers moral in the middle of all this?"

"Maybe."

"Fine," Brooke sighed, picking at her cuticles before making a mental note she really needed to get a manicure some time this weekend. "So, what you're saying is, Haley's my family and I shouldn't turn my back on her?"

"It's good to see the dumb cheerleader image has faded away," the older woman joked, pulling Brooke into a hug when she pouted childishly. "Brooke, I just hate to see you so upset like this, honey. You deserve the world and even though it's been bad to you, things will work out and you'll pull through."

Brooke buried her face further into Karen's shoulder, seeking comfort in her signature scent when she caught a whiff of it. "Can I get that in writing?"

"Of course you can," Karen promised with a laugh, kissing the top of Brooke's head before she pulled away slowly. "Would you like to go see her? She's been up for a few hours now."

"I'll go when I'm ready."

"Okay," Karen gave in, standing up to her feet reluctantly. "Room 304."

"Thanks," Brooke forced a smile, watching her mother-in-law's small figure slowly disappear down the hall and around a corner. She let Karen's words ring through her head, coming to a conclusion very shortly.

_She_ didn't deserve the world. Lucas did.

--

"Does Brooke hate me?"

Lucas scrunched his face up, quickly shrugging his shoulders when Haley's face fell. "Nah."

"She does," Haley whispered with a heavy sigh, fiddling with the hospital blankets that had been forced over her body. "I'm so sorry, Luke, I feel awful."

"I know you do, Hales," Lucas smiled at her, reaching over to brush the stray pieces of hair that fell in her face. She didn't look too bad; just a few cuts on her face along with a small white bandage that covered the four stitches she received just above her eye. "So, tell me this story again. How did you hit a railing?"

Letting out a laugh, Haley turned her palms to the ceiling. "Out of all people, I was actually talking to Nathan about…about the divorce and the next thing I know, I skidded across the road and into the railing."

"This is why you should invest in a blue tooth. Hands free," Lucas winked, chuckling when the younger blonde simply rolled her eyes and groan. "And this is also why you shouldn't drive, how the hell did you get your license?"

"I cried."

"You did not."

"I swear to God!" Haley nodded her head vigorously. "Okay, that, and Taylor flirted with the state trooper. But, now you know why I don't drive that often."

Lucas fell silent for a brief moment, taking the time to study his petite sister-in-law. She looked absolutely swallowed in the mess of blankets and despite the cuts and abrasions on her face and arms, she still looked beautiful.

"Do you want me to leave so you and Nathan can talk?"

Haley immediately shook her head. "I have nothing to say to him."

"Why not?"

"I just don't," Haley whispered honestly, fiddling with the IV tube situated in her hand. After she got a scolding from Lucas, she threw her hands to the side and grabbed the oversized remote, settling on an old episode of Friends. "I'm moving to Texas."

"What?" Lucas asked, clearly taken aback. "What the hell's in Texas?"

"People that don't know me," Haley shrugged like it was no big deal. "Look, there's nothing left here for me. I've lived here for twenty three years. I think it's time for a change. Noah's in Texas and…he needs my help. Besides, Nathan basically told me he'd sign the divorce papers in a heartbeat if I go to Texas."

"Have you told Brooke?"

"At this point, I honestly don't think she'd care."

The silence was quickly broken by Lucas' pager going off, loud curse words escaping his lips when he realized what he was late for. "Shit, I have to go, Haley. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay," Haley smiled, patting his back when he leaned in for a quick hug. "If you see Brooke, could you tell her to come in?"

"I will," Lucas promised, rushing out of the room and knocking into someone he definitely didn't want to see.

Peyton Sawyer.

"Hey, Luke, how is she?" Peyton asked with a bright smile. Lucas swore he had to hold himself back from ramming her into the wall. "I tried calling Brooke, but she didn't answer."

"She doesn't want to talk to you," Lucas snapped angrily, gripping his fists as they rested near his side. Peyton cocked her head to the side, confusion written all over her face. "I suggest you leave before Brooke sees you because I'm telling you this now, I will not stop her from ripping your hair out."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about?" Lucas yelled, shutting Haley's door before she could drag herself out of bed and see what was going on outside. "Your little comment that you feeling bad for the baby Brooke and I have someday."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Peyton yelled back, standing up straight to stare Lucas straight in the eye. "I never said anything!"

"According to Jenny, you'd feel real bad for the child we bring in this world," Lucas reminded her harshly, his blood boiling when he heard Peyton laugh. "This isn't funny, Peyton! You have NO right to say shit like that!"

Peyton held her hands up in defense, silencing her laugh when it was really starting to get on Lucas' nerves. "Wait, Jenny told you I said that? She walked in the last part of the conversation, Lucas, you should know better to listen to a four-year old!"

"It doesn't make a difference," Lucas tried to argue, gripping the loud beeper in his hands when it went off. He threw it in his pocket and tried to ignore it, nearly throwing it on the ground when it was the same number over and over. "Just stay away from, Brooke, the last thing she needs is to see you."

"Whatever," Peyton waved him off, turning around on her heel and stopping short when she came face to face with the girl she hadn't seen in weeks. "Brooke…"

"Don't talk to me, Peyton," Brooke closed her eyes tiredly, rubbing her face when the lack of sleep was catching up to her. "I've had a long, horrible day, I'm not in the mood to yell at you or even tell you to fuck off."

"You just did," Peyton joked.

In the blink of an eye, Lucas swooped in and grabbed his seething wife, pulling her arm back when she stepped forward to no doubt knock Peyton senseless. "Just walk away."

"Will you let me explain?" Peyton held onto a tiny bit of hope Brooke would give in and let her. "I know how much you guys want a family, why would I ever say something horrible like that? It may be cold sometimes, but I do have a heart."

"I don't believe you," Brooke's voice cracked, leaning back into Lucas when he wrapped his arms around her waist, reassuring her he wasn't going anyway. "Peyton, no, I don't, I don't believe you!"

"Jake and I were talking about baby names because a guy he works with named his kid Nebula and all I said was," Peyton began slowly, glancing at Lucas for some sort of help. She watched him whisper something in Brooke's ear and the brunette finally relented, blinking away her tears. "I would feel bad for the baby you bring into this world because knowing you two, you'd name it something weird like Heaven or…Ralph Waldo."

"Heaven?" Brooke scoffed, slowly easing herself out of Lucas' grip. "You'd name your kid Lyric or like…Music Note."

"I'm sure Jake would love that," Peyton shook her head in amusement, breathing a sigh of relief when they two Scott's seemed to believe her. "I told Jenny she needs to learn not to repeat what she hears…I'm sorry, I really am. You know how she is."

"Yeah," Brooke whispered, being her usual stubborn self and waited for Peyton to make the first move. Lucas stood there with a frown, rubbing Brooke's shoulders when she refused to be the bigger person in all of this. "How's Haley?"

"She's fine, Brooke," Lucas told her, kissing the back of her head. "I know you're going to hate me, but I have to go."

"No, no, you can't go," Brooke's eyes immediately filled with tears, shrugging off Peyton's comforting hands. She barely registered the blonde leaving and clung to her husband, mumbling into his chest. "I need you here, Luke!"

"I know, baby, I know," Lucas tried to remain calm, rubbing her back and shaking her body slightly until she was forced to look up at him. "Abby needs me, sweetie. I need to go and keep her safe."

Brooke swallowed past the lump in her throat and stepped away, watching Karen out of the corner of her eye. "O-okay, you promise? Do you promise the next time I see you, she'll be with her grandmother and her crack whore mother will be locked up?"

"I promise," Lucas said with all the confidence he could muster, leaning forward to kiss her forehead, letting his lips linger for a moment longer to add to the reassurance. "Do you want me to come back later or should I just go back to the house?"

"You can just go home," Brooke told him with her dimply smile, leaning up to place a soft kiss on his lips. She felt Karen's hand intertwine with hers and felt better as she watched her husband trudge down the hallway.

"Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Brooke nodded, accepting one of many hugs from Karen that night. "I'm, I'm gonna go in there and talk to Haley. Will you do me a favor? Can you keep Taylor away from Nathan? I think she's ready to kill him."

Karen laughed and promised she would, lingering around the doorway until Brooke went in, quietly shutting the door behind her. The brunette took a deep breath and took small steps over to the bed, her gaze falling to the floor when Haley finally met her frightened gaze.

"Hi."

"Hi."

Despite the awkward silence, Haley pushed the conversation on, a bit surprised when Brooke took a seat at the end of the bed, glancing at all the machines she was hooked up to. "I didn't think you were gonna come in."

"I wasn't," Brooke told her bluntly. "But, I figured I'd give you the benefit of the doubt and let you explain what the hell was going through your mind when you said that."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Haley asked shyly, completing ignoring Brooke's question all together. She didn't have an answer for it.

Brooke shrugged, biting her lip in sadness. "Because, Haley, I can't even believe it myself. It's just something I have to deal with Lucas."

"I really am sorry," Haley stressed, leaning forward to attempt to give Brooke some sort of hug. When Brooke tried pulling back, she held on tighter, hoping it would give Brooke support in all of this. "You know I have a big mouth."

"It still doesn't excuse what you said, Haley!" Brooke blew out in anger, gently releasing Haley's grip and settling her back against the pillows. "Just because you're in the hospital…it doesn't mean I'm going to forgive you!"

"I know, and I didn't expect you to-"

"Haley, you have to understand where I'm coming from," Brooke sniffled, fiddling with her hands as they rested in her lap. "You've known ever since we were kids I've always wanted a baby. You stayed up with me all those sleepless nights while Lucas was working late and you even came to the doctor with me! You know how much I want this and…I can't have it."

"I'm sorry," was Haley could come up with. She watched Brooke fight back her tears again, burning holes into the white-tiled floor as she tried to think of something to say to make her best friend feel better. "There are other options, Brooke. Adoption, surrogacy…"

Brooke just shook her head, refusing to listen to Haley go on. "So, were you going to tell me you're moving to Texas?"

"I was, but then Jenny interrupted."

"Are you really leaving?" Brooke asked skeptically, realizing the distance was too much. She scooted to the front of the bed and lied next to Haley, grabbing her small hand in her own. "No offense, but Noah doesn't really deserve your help. What has he ever done for you?"

"I don't need a reason to reciprocate," Haley snapped in defense. "He's my brother, Brooke!"

"I understand that, but you're throwing your marriage away for this?"

"My marriage has been over for quite some time," Haley reminded Brooke bitterly, letting out a sigh before she dropped her head on the brunette's shoulder. "You and I both know that Nathan and I have drifted apart."

"Will you just give it time before you go through with this?" Brooke pleaded, wrapping her arms around Haley's shoulders. "You have to stop being such a martyr, Baby Haley."

"Only if you promise to stop being a masochist."

Brooke wrinkled her nose, staring down at her friend in confusion. "I don't even know what the hell that means. Just promise me you'll think this through? I can't bear the thought of shipping you to Texas without me to watch over you. Start thinking about yourself for a change, put everyone else second."

"I'll try," Haley mumbled, absently fiddling with the diamond necklace resting on Brooke's chest. "Does this mean you forgive me?"

"Only if you promise to never ever say that to me again."

"I promise," Haley quickly said, intertwining her pinky with Brooke's when she held it up for her in all seriousness. "And if you ever need to talk…you know I'm here."

"I know, I know."

"Will you talk to me at some point?" Haley asked, her small tone laced with hope. "I hate when you get all closed off. You get pissy and moody and trust me, moody Brooke is someone who I stay far away from."

"Just get some sleep," Brooke changed the subject, running her hand through Haley's blonde hair when she let out a small yawn. "You're gonna need it when you see Taylor and Nathan biting each other's heads off."

Haley laughed softly, letting the sound of Brooke's voice lull her to sleep, squeezing her best friend's arm to let her know she was thankful for her presence. Brooke looked down at the smaller girl and smiled, vowing to one day spill her heart out and make sure Haley knew all about fears about Abby.

--

Lucas breathed a sigh of relief when his heart rate returned to normal, watching a screaming Janice Collins being hauled off to an awaiting police cruiser. It was a rough night and all he wanted to do was go home to Brooke and sleep the night away.

"Lucas, I cannot thank you enough," Jean's gentle voice came from behind him, cradling an exhausted little girl in her arms. "Everything you've done…it means so much to me."

"No problem," Lucas smiled, retrieving Bananas when it fell from Abby's grip. He carefully placed it back in her arms and rubbed her small back. "It's too late now, but tomorrow we can go over the custody papers and all that stuff, okay? Right now, Janice is being placed without bail and her hearing is first thing Monday morning. It's pretty obvious she's going to lose custody and from the looks of it, you will gain full custody and her rights to Abby will be terminated."

"Oh, that is so good to hear," Jean smiled widely, rubbing her hand up and down Lucas' arm. "Would you like to come back to the house? I can make you some food. What's your favorite meal?"

Lucas laughed at the older woman's persistence, politely shaking his head. "No, no, I'm all set. I should get home to my wife anyways."

"I understand," Jean said, shifting Abby to her other hip when the weight became too much for her to bear. "How is she doing?"

"Good, she's doing good," Lucas felt bad for lying, but he wasn't about to the poor old woman Brooke didn't share the same thoughts about adopting Abby. "Here, why don't you let me carry her to the car?"

Jean agreed and passed the small child to Lucas, slowly falling behind when he carried her to the car. He looked so natural as he kept a firm grip on Abby's waist, resting his palm on the back of her head when it came in contact with his shoulder. After she was situated in the car seat, Lucas leaned in and brushed the hair out of her face, pressing a soft kiss against Abby's forehead before quietly shutting the door behind him.

"Call me if you need anything."

"Lucas," Jean tugged on his arm a bit, waiting until he was face to face with her. "Is there anything I can do? To repay you? You've done so much and I would just feel terrible if I didn't give back to you."

"You don't owe me anything," Lucas forced a smile, grabbing Jean's trembling hands in his own. "It's my job and believe me, I would have given my life if it meant Abby being removed earlier."

"What are your plans now her case is the least of your worries?"

Lucas shrugged, kicking his feet against the pavement when his cheeks blushed. "I am actually taking a leave of absence."

"Really?"

"Yeah," he nodded with a nervous laugh. "Brooke and I haven't had a vacation in years and with everything that's been happening the last month, I think she deserves it more than I do."

"Good luck to you."

"Thanks," Lucas said, leaning down to wrap Jean in a warm hug. "Don't be a stranger, okay? Like I said, I'll come by in the morning and sort out everything but until then, enjoy having your granddaughter all to yourself."

"I will. Thank you, Lucas."

With one last goodbye, Lucas let out a long sigh, watching Jean's car slowly disappear into the darkness. He made small talk with some of the police officers before quickly making an exit to go home to Brooke. It was a long day and he needed to make sure she was okay.

--

Brooke let out a loud whimper when she realized her marble counters were covered in pancake batter. Perhaps using the highest speed on the electronic beater wasn't such a good idea. She peered down at her shirt and frowned, her black tank top covered in white hand prints all along the fabric.

"You can't let me have my way, huh?" she hissed to the appliance tossing it in the sink as Frank ran around in circles, desperately trying to catch the flour on his tongue when it fell off Brooke's hands. "I try to do something nice for my husband and you decide to be an ass and make a mess everywhere!"

Frank barked when she quickly swept up the mess, following her over to the trash when she emptied out the contents. "Go away, dog, I'm sort of busy here." When Frank barked again, she bent down to get eye level with him and scooped him up in her arms. "Don't you dare talk back to me, Frank. I'll send you to your room without any food."

When the dog whimpered and scampered out of her arms, she grinned triumphantly before pulling at her hair when she looked back at the mess. Somehow, the mix managed to splatter all over the cabinets as well, even dirtying some of the pictures that were posted on their overly expense fridge.

"What…the hell happened in here?"

"Nothing!" Brooke squeaked, turning around to face Lucas sheepishly. "Okay, well, something obviously happened but it's okay!"

"What did you do?" Lucas laughed tiredly, catching Brooke in his arms when she bounced over happily. "And what did you take? When I saw you three hours ago you were giving Debbie Downer a run for her money."

Brooke let out a small giggle and shrugged. "Don't worry about me."

"That's all I ever do."

"I tried making you pancakes," Brooke ignored him, tying her hair up in a messy bun. "And, when I went to mix…the mix…I had it on the highest power and it went everywhere so that's why the kitchen looks like the fridge exploded."

"What did I tell you about cooking alone?" Lucas joked, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to kiss the tip of her flour covered nose. He spun her around to admire her pajamas, shaking his head at all the hand prints. "Why don't you go wash off and I'll clean up."

"Just leave it," Brooke waved him off, wrapping her arms around his neck. "How, how did things go?" she asked carefully, Lucas didn't seem that happy when he came in.

"It's all over," Lucas peered down at her with a smile, resting his chin on top of her head when she mumbled into his chest. "Abby is safe and sound with her grandmother and Janice will be locked away for quite some time. When they searched her house, they found over four pounds of marijuana."

"Are you serious?" Brooke blew out in surprise, muttering obscenities when Lucas tried comforting her. "She wasn't there when they arrested her was she?" When Lucas nodded, she pulled away, looking at her husband in disbelief. "Lucas! That could scar her for life!"

"She was fast asleep, Brooke," Lucas defended, taking a step forward. They were doing so good without yelling and it all came crashing down with Abby's name. "I'm just really tired, I'm gonna go to bed."

Brooke sighed, turning the kitchen light off as she followed Lucas up the stairs. "I have to go pick up Haley from the hospital tomorrow at nine. Can you wake me up?"

"I won't be up at nine."

"Don't, don't you have to work?"

Lucas turned around, a grin visible by the faint hallway light. "Shit, with everything that's been going on I forgot to tell you. I took a leave of absence."

"What?" Brooke's eyes widened in surprise, not sure what to think. "Can you do that? I mean, you can because you did, but are you sure? Can we afford to have you not work for a few months?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it," Lucas kissed her with a laugh, lifting her small body into his arms and holding her close. "How's Haley doing?"

"Better," Brooke nodded against his chest, suppressing her yawn when he laughed. "I think I talked her out of moving to Texas for now. Shall we stage a Naley intervention?"

"Uh, no," Lucas immediately answered, letting her slide back down to her feet. "Why don't you let them work out their own problems for once, Brooke? Let's spend the rest of the weekend…having sex."

"Oh, promise?" Brooke squealed, standing on her tip toes to give him a chaste kiss on the lips. When he nodded with a smirk of his own, she giggled when she felt his hands creep up her shirt and tickle her sides. "You know what we should do?"

"What?" Lucas kinked an eyebrow, welcoming Brooke's tongue as it slid into his mouth slowly, but surely. Her hands were currently unbuttoning the button on his pants, sliding the zipper down as his lips trailed down her neck, sucking ever so gently on the skin.

"Christen the new rugs in the bathroom," Brooke's voice was hoarse against his lips, her stomach doing flip flops when his hand began massaging her breast. "They're just too clean right now and I think it's time to get them dirty."

"Lead the way, Mrs. Scott."

Brooke felt like such a teenager as she giggled at his words, grabbing his hand and skipping a few feet down the hall to the master bathroom. She couldn't remember the last time she laughed genuinely and welcomed Lucas' hungry lips as they crashed into hers, willingly slipping out the loose jeans and top that was clearly getting in the way.

They were happy for once, and Brooke intended on keeping it this way for as long as she could.


	11. You've Begun To Feel Like Home

**AN: I just went to say thanks for all the reviews! I can't believe there's already over 200 reviews with only 11 chapters. You guys rock and even though nothing exactly happens in this, hopefully the ending will excite you!**

--

"I'm sorry, what?"

Brooke tried flashing her infamous dimples at her husband, but when that backfired, she was all out of ideas. "Luke, come on! It'll be fun!"

"I can't come to show and tell," Lucas laughed, kissing the crown of Brooke's head when she collapsed in his lap dramatically. "I'd rather spend my time off sitting on my ass and watching ESPN all day. Sorry."

"Fine," Brooke pouted, watching his fingers brush across the skin her pajama top didn't cover. She knew exactly what he was doing and swatted his hand away when it tried snaking up the shirt. "No, no, no. No show and tell, no sex."

Lucas groaned when she got off him in a huff, trying to pull her back when her arms swung past him. "Brooke, I said I was sorry!"

"Well, you should have thought of that earlier, huh?" she stuck her tongue out, climbing off his lap and purposely blocking the TV.

"Excuse me."

"Oh, are you watching this?" Brooke asked innocently, turning it off just as the Lakers game was coming to an end. "Whoops!"

"Brooke!" Lucas yelled in surprise, turning the TV back on just in time to see the final score of the game, making sure to grunt to let Brooke know he was upset. "You're lucky! I could have missed a game winning shot or something!"

Brooke rolled her eyes and leant against the arm of the couch. "Blah, blah, blah. Why can't you just do something I WANT for once? Please! It will be like ten minutes tops and then you can come home and play with yourself because I swear, if you don't come tomorrow, that's all you'll be doing for the rest of the month."

"I always do what you want," Lucas leaned back in the couch, smirking when Brooke scoffed in disbelief. "We went to New York City in 2000 because of you, went to frigging Rent in 2004 because you had a crush on that gay guy, I even went to see Beyonce! Do you know how much I got made fun of?"

"It was your idea!"

Lucas turned away in embarrassment, knowing he had lost that one. "Brooke, why can't you ask your other husband to go? I'm sure he'd love that."

"He's too good for that type of stuff," Brooke giggled, trying to push Lucas' hands out of the way when he tried seizing her by the waist. "You know, between all the hot sex we're having, he just doesn't have anytime."

"I see," he grinned evilly as his fingers began attacking Brooke's stomach, holding on tighter when she tried elbowing him. He threw her over his shoulder and gave her butt a gentle slap when they reached the back deck. "Why don't you go take a nice swim in the pool you insisted on having?"

"Lucas, don't you dare!" Brooke warned, her feet kicking Lucas' stomach as hard as she could. She even tried smacking his back but he continued to laugh as if he couldn't feel any pain. "It's the middle of October! That water is absolutely freezing! I swear to god if you throw me in that pool-"

Splash!

"You'll what?" Lucas asked, avoiding the splash of water Brooke sent his way. Her tank top was now completely see through and was glad she opted not to wear a bra underneath it tonight. "Sorry, babe; maybe your other husband can come rescue you."

"It was a joke!" Brooke whined, swimming over to the edge and holding out her hand for Lucas to help her out. "A little help would be nice?"

"Why?" Lucas said, splashing some water in her face. "So you can pull me in?"

Brooke hit the water angrily and grabbed the front of his shirt, holding onto the ladder when he came in head first. "It was bound to happen sooner or later."

"This is a 90 dollar shirt!" Lucas exclaimed, quickly undoing the buttons and tossing it on the diving board. "These were 110 dollar pants!" he grinned, tossing the pants up where the shirt was. "And these boxers, well these boxers just suck."

"I'm sensing a pattern here," Brooke finally picked up on it, making a face when his wet boxers landed on her head. "Hey! I bought you these boxers and you said they were the best ones you've ever got."

"Brooke," Lucas laughed, running his hands through her tangled hair. "They have Mickey Mouse on them. I wore those when I was like eight."

"They're cute," Brooke protested, running the material through her fingers before she tossed them behind her. She let out a tiny squeal when Lucas grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her over to him. "I'm not having sex in the pool, Lucas. We could get some sort of gross infection, and no! I don't want a UTI, not now, not ever. Not to mention, it's like zero degrees in here!"

"Are you done with the PSA?" Lucas asked, pulling her soaking wet pajama bottoms down her legs and tossing them aside. He gently sucked on her quivering bottom lip and wrapped an arm around her waist. "We're not going to get an infection and if we do…we'll worry about that later. The moment's slipping away."

"I hate you," Brooke scowled, her underwear floating in between the two seconds later. Lucas pulled her forward and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her lips trailing down his neck. "How do you expect me to get any arousal out of this if you keep moving me around like a lifeless doll!"

"Well stop squirming then," Lucas instructed, gliding over to the wall where one of the filters were located. "At least you're already wet."

Brooke shut her eyes and stopped herself from laughing, staring straight into his eyes when he simply chuckled at his own joke. "And the winner of the worst pun _ever_, Lucas Scott. Congrats, Broody."

"This is harder than I thought it was going to be."

"Need some help?" Brooke raised a suggestive eyebrow, her hand disappearing into the water. Lucas laughed and shook his head, pulling Brooke's hand up from underneath him. "This is never going to work, Luke. Just give it up. Your timing keeps getting longer and longer with your old age. And oh my god," she moaned softly, her back scraping up against the steps in the shallow end when she felt his finger slip inside her.

"That'll teach you to underestimate me," he winked, slowly guiding Brooke up a bit so their lips could meet. Without wasting any time, her tongue dived down his throat while his hand caressed her thigh, pulling back when Brooke practically bit his bottom lip. "I hate when you do that, Brooke. One of these days you're gonna bust it open."

"Don't be such a baby," Brooke rolled her eyes, running her fingers through his wet hair to give it some sort of style. "What if the neighbors hear us?"

"Well make it quick and quiet," Lucas promised, his hips grinding up against hers. She gave in quickly and tilted her head back a bit as he began to kiss down her neck and tugged the sopping wet tank top over her head. "Although we might need to get a muzzle for you, you couldn't keep quiet if your life depended on it."

"Shut up and do me," Brooke silenced him, moaning against his swollen lips when he slid another finger in, using his thumb to lightly tease her sensitive bud. She placed her hands under the water and stroked the bulge pressing ever so lightly against her thighs, smiling when Lucas trembled at the touch. "You're still like a teenage boy."

Lucas laughed, removing his fingers before pinning her against the wall again, sliding himself into her and grinning when she tilted her head back in delight. "Does it still feel like a teenage boy?"

"I've had better," Brooke shrugged with a giggle, cupping his face when he gasped in shock and pulled away. "Alright, that was fun!"

"W-what?" Lucas' mouth dropped, watching Brooke's naked figure climb out of the pool while she mumbled about the cold. "Brooke! We didn't even really do anything!"

"I told you," Brooke began, scooping up her clothes before scampering over to the screen door near the deck. "No show and tell, no sex!"

Lucas smacked the water in frustration and let out a groan, retrieving the items of clothing floating around the pull before pulling the soaking wet boxers back on. He could see Brooke teasing him through the screen door as he advanced forward, begrudgingly thinking about what he was going to wear tomorrow.

--

Brooke did her best to try and not trip over the kids as she rushed inside, heading straight for the thermos full of coffee. She had tried talking them out of going outside, but was quickly screamed at mere seconds later. After last night, she was convinced she was getting pneumonia and kept sending Lucas dirty text messages to tease/repay him for the night before.

Show and tell had ended right before recess and Brooke was glad each kid kept it short and sweet instead of going on and on for ten minutes about a damn postcard from Holland that Brooke was sure to have seen in the Barnes and Noble downtown.

"Miss Brooke! Miss Brooke! You have to go for show and tell!"

"What?" Brooke nearly laughed, looking at the little boy tugging at her arm. "Oh, I, you guys don't wanna hear me talk about…nothing."

"You promised!" he insisted, stomping his feet when Brooke tried to pry his tiny fingers off her arm. "You said you were gonna bring in your husband!"

"Maybe she doesn't have one!"

"I have, I have a husband!" Brooke cried out in amusement, looking over at Jenny for some sort of help. "Jenny, tell them about Lucas."

"Who is Lucas?" Jenny smirked, turning her palms up to the ceiling. "You live with cats!"

"No, she has a husband!" Abby spoke up softly, burying her face into the stuffed monkey when Jenny elbowed her and told her to play along. "I was just kidding! She lives with a doggie!"

"I have a doggie!"

"One time my brother got bit by a big dog! It was funny!"

"Okay, okay," Brooke cut in with a tight smile, trying to stop her headache before it even began. She rummaged through her purse and pulled out her wedding photo of her and Lucas, bending down to show it to the kids. "Now do you believe me?"

Austin shook his head and grabbed the picture, showing it to his sister. "I think this is your brother!"

"You married your brother?" Maddy giggled, throwing her hands over her mouth. "That's gross! My brother is smelly."

"He's not my brother," Brooke sang, letting the kids tease her for a few more minutes until they passed the picture back up. "You guys believe what you want, but Lucas is my husband and not my brother. I don't even have a brother!"

"So, so how come he didn't come to show and tell?"

"He's busy."

"Doing what?"

Brooke bit her lip. "Stuff."

"What kinds of stuff?"

"Just stuff!" Brooke laughed nervously, wondering when the curious kids were going to quit nagging her about Lucas. Now, she was definitely going to kill him. "He's doing grown up things…like paying the bills and cleaning the house."

"Suuureee."

"Let's move on!"

Brooke breathed a sigh of relief when they seemed to forget the conversation and moved around the room to play with the toys. She plopped down in the chair and drummed her fingers on the desk, a smile escaping her lips as she listened to their small squeals and giggles. They were so care-free and she envied them for it.

Slowly but surely, the door to the classroom creaked open and Lucas appeared sheepishly, waving his hand when he stepped in. The kids all stopped what they were doing and looked up at the tall man with their mouths wide open.

"I thought you were too good for this?" Brooke kinked an eyebrow, hurrying over to greet her nervous husband. She decided against PDA and simply squeezed his hand as a sign of how thankful she really was.

"Yeah, well," Lucas shrugged, trailing off when he noticed he had the attention of every single kid in the room. "What's with them?"

"They thought I made you up," Brooke giggled, pulling him forward into the center of the room. "See! I told you I had a husband!"

"Oh," the kids all chorused, cowering back when Lucas took a step forward. "You're, you're fake!"

"I'm…what?" Lucas blinked in confusion, rubbing his head when Brooke groaned from beside him, watching her students cross their arms with a pout. "Do you want me to be somebody else rather than her husband?"

"Watch it," Brooke hissed in his ear, stepping in front of him when they nodded their heads in excitement. She swung his arm back and forth and prepared to show him off like a prized poodle. "Say hi, kids."

"Hi, kids."

Brooke rolled her eyes a bit and laughed at their seriousness. "Does anybody have any questions to ask Lucas? He'd _love_ to answer them." Lucas pinched her back and nearly had a heart attack when ten hands shot up at once, begging to be called on. "Alex?"

"How tall are you, sir?"

Lucas cleared his throat, wondering how he convinced himself to come to Brooke's school. "Uh, just about six feet."

"Do you know Santa Clause?"

"No…"

"The Easter Bunny?"

"I don't," Lucas shook his head, glaring down at Brooke when she was trying to stifle her giggle with a cough. "Well, this has been fun!"

Jenny raised her hand impatiently and smiled when Brooke called on her, pulling Lucas back when he went for the door. "Uncle Lucas! Tell them about Frank! And, and your job!"

"Well, Frank is our dog," Lucas stated in an obvious tone, swaying back and forth as he eyed Abby carefully. He was trying to find the right words to describe his job without hurting Abby. "And, for my job, I work with kids too."

"What do you do with kids?" Ally asked innocently, bouncing the doll she had in her hands up and down excitedly. "Are you a teacher too?"

"Jenny, don't," Brooke warned when she watched Jenny's mouth open, a scowl forming on her face after the stern warning Brooke gave her. She patted Lucas' arm and tried to move the conversation forward. "Okay, anymore questions before he goes home?"

Abby slowly raised her hand, standing up to her feet when Brooke reluctantly called on her. "Mr. Lucas, he helps kids whose mommy's don't…don't love them."

"How do _you_ know?" Austin snorted in disbelief. Brooke sighed, knowing that he liked to bully her for no reason. "Does your mommy not love you?"

Brooke's heart broke in two when the class laughed, with the exception of Jenny and a few other girls. She watched Abby's face crumble and swallowed past the lump in her throat when she stood in the middle of the room shaking.

"That's enough," she snapped, startling them with her angry tone. She stepped over the kids and grabbed Abby's hand, ignoring Lucas when he came up from behind her. "Just stay here and watch them."

"Brooke-"

"Please?" Brooke's voice cracked, squeezing Abby's hand in reassurance when she noticed all the kids were looking at her. "Come on, sweetie," she whispered, leading the small girl out of the classroom and shutting the door behind her. "Are you okay?"

"I dunno," Abby shook her head, sucking on her thumb before burying her face into Brooke's stomach. She sighed when she felt Brooke's fingers run through her long hair, pulling away when Brooke slumped down against the wall sadly. "Mommy's gone…"

"I know," Brooke gave her a small smile, settling her in her lap when she sat down and held her monkey tight. "How does it feel to live with your nana?"

"Good," Abby answered quickly with her own smile, poking Brooke's dimples with a giggle when she noticed them. "I feel much better living with nana, Miss Brooke! She made me pancakes!"

"Really?" Brooke said in interest, a feeling of happiness washing over her at just how excited Abby was about the littlest things. "What kind?"

"Chocolate chip!"

"Aw, that's my favorite."

"Mine too," Abby whispered, shying away when Brooke ruffled her hair. "I think you're lucky to have Mr. Lucas as your husband."

"Yeah," Brooke sighed wistfully. "I am."

"Is it okay not to like Austin?"

Brooke shrugged, not wanting to lie to her. "I think it's okay for now. Maybe his mommy will have a talk with him later when he goes home."

"At least he has a mommy."

"Hey, hey," Brooke gulped, pulling Abby closer when she noticed the tears glimmering in her pretty eyes. "Remember what I said before? You'll get a nice mommy someday. You have your nana for now."

After a pause, Brooke dropped her voice to a whisper, fearing it would upset her more than Abby. "And you have me and Lucas."

"I do?"

"Of course."

Letting the words sink in, Brooke took a deep breath and suddenly knew how Lucas was feeling. She had a fear if she did take Abby in, the little girl would be unresponsive and automatically think she was going to act like her terrible mother. But, in the moment, she felt like Abby had trusted her, and if that was the case, she was doing a horrible job of letting her down.

"I know what it's like to have a mother who doesn't love you," Brooke confessed shakily, leaning her head up against the wall to rid herself of the tears forming in her eyes. "By the time I was your age, she was already arguing with my father about which boarding school I should go to."

"How can anyone not love you?" Abby asked innocently, her blue eyes widening at the thought of anyone disliking her teacher. To her, Brooke was the nicest person in the world. "I bet your mommy loves you now."

"I doubt that," Brooke ruffled Abby's hair. "I haven't talked to her in about two years or so. I don't even know where she lives."

"What about your daddy?"

"He just acts like nothing happens," she told her, a faint smile on her lips when she remembered the times her father used to take her out for ice cream when her mother made her upset. "But don't you worry about me, okay? I have Lucas and Haley, that's all I need."

Abby nodded and shifted the stuffed monkey to her other arm, using her free one to wrap it around Brooke's neck. "Miss Brooke? I think I'm ready to go back inside and play."

"Alright," Brooke said, standing up with Abby in her arms. "If you ever need someone besides your nana, you tell her to call me, okay? Lucas and I want to help you."

"Thank you," Abby smiled graciously, squeezing Brooke's neck tight when she stopped at the door. "We, we can play house and I can be the mommy and I'll love you…so, so that way you'll have a mommy who loves you…"

Brooke nearly broke down in a fit of tears after hearing Abby's sentence. She was at a loss for words, peering through the glass on the door to gaze at her husband. Lucas was surrounded by a bunch of kids, some of them climbing on top of him and others at his feet, begging for him to read the story he had in his hand. An unfamiliar sensation formed in the pit of her stomach, and when she looked down at Abby, who had her head resting on her shoulder and sucking her thumb, she felt a tug at her heart strings.

Lucas looked so natural interacting with the children, never once overwhelmed with their excessive jumpiness.

"Are we going in?" Abby broke her thoughts softly, giggling lightly when Brooke shook her head to come back to reality.

"Yep," Brooke nodded, resting her hand on the brass doorknob. She took a deep breath, settling Abby down her feet once they crossed the threshold. Abby immediately ran over to Jenny and the other kids, jumping on Lucas when he wasn't paying attention.

After a few minutes, she felt Lucas' arms encircle her waist, placing a soft kiss on her temple. "You've done a great job with them, Brookie. I had to admit, I thought they'd be rambunctious and all over the place."

"Hey," Brooke punched his shoulder lightly, sticking her tongue out when he shook her from side to side. "I think Abby's feeling better."

"I felt terrible," Lucas sighed, watching the little girl contently. He studied Brooke's face carefully, trying to figure out what was going on in her head. "Are you thinking, what I think you're thinking?"

"I don't know," Brooke responded, almost robotically. "I've, I've never had this feeling before and I can't even begin to explain it. I feel like…"

"You want her?"

When they both caught Abby's gaze, she waved to them frantically before turning her attention back to Jenny with a giggle.

She wasn't sure if she was just caught in the moment, but Brooke quickly found herself whispering, "I want her."


	12. Savoring This Heart That’s Healing

**AN: Eek, I'm so sorry again. My summer was crazy and I got caught up with my other story. Anyways, I've sadly returned back to College so I'm gonna try and balance my time to update, I promise! Thanks for all the reviews...you guys amaze me to this day.**

**--**

"Thanks again for coming with me," Haley smiled nervously as she walked through the automatic doors, Brooke trailing behind her with a faint pout.

"Anytime," the brunette shrugged. "I love spending my Saturday's at the hospital."

Haley pretended not to hear that and self-consciously rubbed the cut on her forehead, wincing at the sharp pain. "I think I have to go register or something like that so you can just wait here."

"Okay, mom," Brooke teased, giving Haley's shoulder a re-assuring squeeze when she noticed her friend tense up. "It'll be like ten seconds, Hales. You probably won't even feel it."

"I just hate hospitals," Haley muttered under her breath, disappearing down the hall after Brooke gave her a much needed hug.

Brooke let out a dramatic sigh and flopped down in the surprisingly comfortable chairs, instantly reaching for the out-dated Cosmopolitan in the magazine rack to her left. She aimlessly flipped through the articles, secretly looking for new sex tips to spice up her bedroom life, and frowned when she realized she had tried most of them.

"Wow, I'm kind of a slut," she said to nobody in particular, her head shooting up in embarrassment when she noticed an old nurse staring down at her. "Oh, please don't tell me Haley's already having a fit."

"No," the nurse simply shook her head, tilting her head to the right. "That little girl over there, her grandmother's in here for a few tests, she says that she knows you."

Abby waved shyly from the mess of books surrounding her, hugging her stuffed monkey to her chest when the nurse glanced back over to her. Brooke immediately nodded her head, letting her eyes linger back to the old woman when she coughed _again_.

"You should get that checked out," Brooke found herself saying out loud, her cheeks turning pink when she realized that didn't stay in the confines of her own head. "Yes, yes, I do know her. I'm her teacher."

The nurse, whose name was Betty, looked at the two skeptically, trying to figure out if Brooke was telling the truth. "You are, are you? So, you teach first grade?"

"Uh, Pre-school," Brooke corrected, wondering if the nurse was truly confused or if it was some sort of test. "Her name's Abby Collins, her grandmother's name is Jean Johnson-"

"Okay, you win," Betty surrendered with a smile, motioning for Abby to come on over. "Her grandmother was an old friend of mine and I would just feel terrible if something ever happened to her."

"How is she by the way?" Brooke asked softly, watching as Abby quickly threw all the old books back onto the rack, straightening herself out before she ran over to Brooke. "Hi, sweetie!"

Abby smiled widely, the sense of fear she first felt towards Brooke completely gone as she jumped into her lap, letting her tiny arms wrap around Brooke's neck. "Hi, Miss Brooke!"

"If you need anything," Betty gently stroked Abby's back. "I'll just be back behind the desk, okay?"

"Okay, but it won't! Miss Brooke's here!"

"Just incase," Betty winked, sending Brooke a grave look as an answer to her previous question. "Take good care of her."

After a pause, Brooke nodded with a fake smile, struggling a bit as Abby shifted all around in her arms until she was comfortable. "So, how long have you been here for?"

"A long, long, time," Abby pouted, kicking her legs a bit when Brooke bounced her up and down on her knee a bit. "Are you sick?"

"No, no," Brooke reassured her. "Haley, do you remember her?" When Abby shrugged, shaking her head, Brooke rubbed her back and continued on. "She has to get her stitches taken out so I'm here waiting for her to be finished."

"What are those?"

"Stitches? Well, sometimes when you get a really bad cut the doctor's need to sew it up to keep it from getting infected."

"Owie," Abby frowned, lifting her sleeve to show Brooke the cut she had gotten a few days ago. "Do I need to get stitches?"

Brooke pretended to examine the faint cut, shaking her head when Abby looked up at her in fear. "I think you're okay. How did that happen?"

"I tripped," Abby whispered, thrusting the monkey into Brooke's arms when she was getting tired of holding it. "Banana's was on the floor and I was running, nana told me not to, but I really had to go potty and I falled over him!"

"Oh, no," Brooke gasped, breaking into a grin when Abby giggled. "Did it hurt a lot?"

"I didn't cry," Abby told her proudly with a small grin of her own. "Did Haley cry when she got her cut?"

"I think she did."

"I'm braver than her!"

"You are," Brooke told her forcefully, catching the little girl off guard with her tone. With a sigh, she turned Abby around in her arms so she was facing her, her small knees digging into her thighs. "_You_ are the bravest person I've ever met."

Abby looked down and rested her head on Brooke's shoulder when she was pulled forward, closing her eyes for a moment. "I am?"

"Yep," Brooke whispered, holding Abby close to her body. She wasn't sure what came over her, but she felt a sense of fear coming from the child and she wanted to make sure Abby knew everything was going to be okay no matter what happened. "Do you think your nana's going to be much longer?"

"I dunno," Abby sniffled, the tears in her eyes glimmering in the dim lighting when she took her head of Brooke's shoulder. "I think my nana is very sick, Miss Brooke."

Brooke swallowed past the lump in her throat, gently guiding Abby's head back down to her shoulder as she stroked her long hair. "Aw, sweetie, it's okay to cry, you don't have to be brave all the time."

"But nana says big girls don't cry," Abby's bottom lip trembled, trying to find something happy to think about when Brooke rocked her back and forth to calm her down. "I want nana to be okay!"

"So do I," Brooke finally said, torn between telling Abby the truth or making up a lie to make her feel better. It wasn't her place to tell her Jean was sick, that was entirely up to the grandmother. "But right now, you can cry all you want, it's okay."

"Am I still a big girl?" Abby wiped her eyes with her palms, twirling her index finger around Brooke's hair to distract herself.

"Of course."

"I'm all set," Haley announced, stopping dead in her tracks when she realized she was clearly interrupting something. "Wow, I'm gone fifteen minutes and you already replaced me?"

"You remember Abby, right, Hales?"

"I do," Haley nodded, cautiously sitting down in the empty seat next to Brooke and Abby. "How are you, Abby?"

Abby buried her face back into Brooke's shoulder, sticking her small thumb in her mouth for comfort. "Good."

"Don't you remember Haley, Abby? She came to visit school once," Brooke whispered, getting Abby to sit back down on her lap after a bit of a struggle. "And she loves macaroni and cheese…"

"Oh!" Abby finally found her voice, her shyness dissipating as soon as she finally recognized Haley. "The one with the big sisters!"

"That's me," Haley smiled, taken aback when Abby leaned over and hugged her arm, glancing up at her forehead in interest.

"How is your cut?"

"It's, it's better now," Haley laughed, pointing to the pinkish scar she had over her right eye. Abby nodded furiously, not really paying attention as she showed Haley her own cut.

"Miss Brooke says _I_ don't need stitches! And _I_ didn't cry when I got my cut either!"

Brooke snorted into Abby's hair and brushed off the glare Haley was given her, setting the little girl down to her feet. "I'm gonna go find Betty okay, sweetie? We have to go home now."

"No, no!" Abby screeched, stretching out her arms as far as they would go. Brooke shared a look with Haley, trying not to give in as Abby jumped up and down, desperately trying to climb up her body. "Please don't leave me, please, please! Nana's almost done!"

"Alright, alright," Brooke sighed, lifting Abby back into her arms. Abby immediately hugged her tight, showing no indication of letting go anytime soon. "We'll wait with you, I promise, just calm down."

"Please stay," Abby whimpered, coughing loudly when her sobs became too much for her tiny body to handle.

"I'm right here," Brooke said, rubbing soothing circles on Abby's back until she finally began to calm down and loosened her grip. "Do you want to go for a little walk?"

Haley sat back in awe, never seeing this side of Brooke before. She watched as Brooke got Abby to stop crying, setting the reluctant little girl down to her feet and leading her over to the books scattered all around the floor. She had to admit Brooke was a natural with children, but there was something definitely odd about seeing her with a child.

"_I'm late!"_

"_For what?"_

"_For what? For what?" Brooke screeched, her voice hitting an ultimate high when Haley found this funny. "I was supposed to get my period like three weeks ago! I can't be pregnant, I can't be pregnant!"_

"_Relax," Haley grabbed Brooke by the shoulders, shaking her gently until she calmed down. She sat her friend down on the bed and followed suite, slinging an arm around Brooke's shoulder. "I'm sure it's nothing. Didn't you change your birth control or something?"_

"_No," Brooke snorted, shrugging Haley's arm off. She loved Haley to death, she'd do anything for her, but as she saw her as a little sister type, it was definitely weird talking about sex with her. "I forgot to take it that day Lucas and I had…ahem…so the next day I took two and I don't know! I think I screwed it all up and now I'm gonna be the pregnant cheerleader!"_

_Haley sighed, taking Brooke's hand and squeezing it in her own. "I'm positive you're not pregnant, Brooke! Do you know how many times this has happened to, Taylor? You're getting yourself worked up about nothing and I bet tomorrow you'll be crying because you did get your period."_

"_But, I've, I've been sick!"_

"_You were sick because you were hungover," Haley pointed out with a playful eye roll, trying her best to get Brooke to listen. "If you want, we can go out and buy a pregnancy test…just to be sure?"_

"_I thought I wasn't pregnant?" Brooke sniffled, wiping her eyes just in time to see Haley turn away. "What am I gonna tell, Lucas?"_

"_I wouldn't tell him anything unless you know for sure," Haley whispered, brushing the hair out of Brooke's eyes. She looked so scared and vulnerable, fear radiating off her body as she trembled like a leaf. "Have you guys talked about…what would happen?"_

"_A little," Brooke stared down at the floor, the lackluster conversation with Lucas ringing in her head. "He just said it would never happen and if it did, we'd cross that bridge when we'd come to it."_

"_I'm sure he'd support you," Haley tried to sound confident, leaning her head against Brooke's when she didn't respond. She wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close when the tears fell down in pools, dripping onto her thighs. "Don't get yourself worked up over something that's probably not true. Please?"_

_Brooke closed her eyes, listening to Haley's voice crack. That was the thing about Haley; she cried when other people cried, and would have to be the one being comforted in the end. But, if she went to Peyton, she'd probably give her a long lecture about her promiscuity, call Lucas over and demand she tell him right there in her dark and somewhat creepy bedroom._

"_I'm not fit to be a mother," Brooke ignored Haley all together, shifting over a bit so there was some space in between them. "I'm not even sure I even want kids…"_

"Do you want to read a book?" Brooke's strained voice broke Haley's thoughts, bring her back to reality.

"Okay," Abby whispered, her voice barely above a whisper. Just as she leaned down to look through the pile of books, she heard her grandmother's soft voice, beckoning for her to come over. "My nana is here, Miss Brooke."

"I see," Brooke smiled, ruffling Abby's hair slightly. She motioned for her to go over when she seemed reluctant, giving her a little push as she followed shortly behind her. "Hi, Jean, how are you?"

Brooke swore she heard her heart break as she watched the older woman study her for a moment, gripping Abby tight to her body. "Oh! Brooke! Hi, honey, I barely recognized you."

"Probably because of my clothes," Brooke laughed nervously, glancing to her right to make sure Haley was still here. She sent a thankful smile to the patient blonde before turning her attention back to Jean. "Are you all set with your tests? Do you need help with anything?"

"I'm good," Jean smiled warmly, reaching over to touch Brooke's arm. Brooke kept a tight smile as she noticed Jean's appearance; her white hair was thinner than the last time she saw her and the once snug clothes were practically falling off her thin body. "Just a little tired."

"Me too," Abby yawned loudly, burying her face into Jean's side when Brooke laughed at her. "Time to go home?"

"I wish, sweetie," Jean sighed, reaching down to pat Abby's head. "We still have to go pick up my medicine and then go food shopping."

"No!" Abby whimpered, tears forming in her blue eyes. "Nana, I wanna go home now! I was a good girl and, and I'm sleepy!"

"If you want," Brooke found herself saying, eagerly cutting off Jean when she went to reprimand her granddaughter. "I could, uh, I could take her for the rest of the day if you want?"

"Oh, no, dear, I couldn't impose," Jean tried to keep a hold on Abby, sighing when the little girl was already attached to Brooke's hand.

"It's no problem, really," Brooke assured her, squeezing Abby's significantly smaller hand. "You have my husband's phone number, right?

"Yes, yes I do."

Brooke felt Abby hug her waist, reaching down to pat her head comfortingly. "Please? It's the least I could do. Feel free to take your time…just call whenever you'd like her come home."

Jean sighed in reluctance, bending down a bit with a struggle to get eye level with her granddaughter. "You be a good girl, you hear me?"

"I will," Abby squealed, swinging Brooke's hands all around when it all finally settled in. "I promise, nana! I promise."

"Thank you," Jean whispered, placing a hand over her heart.

"It's no problem," Brooke told the older woman genuinely. "So, yeah, call me when you're all set and I'll drop her off."

When Jean thanked her once again, Brooke took a deep breath and slowly but surely watched the older woman disappear.

She was going to need all the practice she could get.

--

Lucas stopped dead in his tracks as he pulled on Frank's leash, letting the little dog now the flower swaying in the wind was not going to attack him. He studied Brooke carefully as she balanced a sleeping Abby in one hand, while trying to get the front door open with the other.

"Did, did you kidnap a child?"

Brooke jumped a little, sending him a glare that was supposed to mirror as a slap. "It's a long story. Just, just open the door!"

"Alright, but I won't have to come bail you out of jail in a few hours, will I?" Lucas asked in seriousness, motioning for Brooke to go in first. He watched his wife carefully set Abby down on the oversized couch, making sure she was safe by scattering pillows all around her and the floor. "So, uh, you take Haley to the hospital and come home with, Abby?"

"I know, I know," Brooke sighed, grabbing his hands to lead him into the kitchen where they could talk privately. "I ran into Jean at the hospital while I was waiting for Haley and she just looked so…so tired, Luke. What was I supposed to do? Abby was really tired and I figured I'd be nice and help her out!"

"Okay, calm down," Lucas advised her, leaning forward to massage Brooke's shoulders in hopes of calming her down. "Just breathe, okay? I'm not yelling at you-"

"You're talking in that…that stern voice that I hate!" Brooke shrieked, throwing her hands in the air while Lucas tried to cut her off. "No, no, husband, you let me speak! You weren't there! When I told her I was leaving, she got so scared and wouldn't let me go! How am I supposed to say no when a little four-year old girl is crying her heart out? You know how I am and you know I how I get!"

"I'm sorry," Lucas whispered, running his fingers through Brooke's brown hair, kissing her head gently before pulling away. "It's just, I think we have bigger problems to worry about."

Brooke felt her stomach drop. "Why, what happened?"

"Uh," Lucas stalled, running a hand through his hair. "Well…your dad called."

"Yeah, right," Brooke laughed, punching Lucas' shoulder lightly. "What really happened? My dad would only call me if he wanted something."

"He wants us to visit," Lucas got out in one breath, turning away before seeing Brooke's mouth drop. "And I sort of…said yes?"

"What?!" Brooke's voice went an octave higher, feeling her heart pound against her chest when she thought about visiting her parents. Her mother would act like she was happy to see her and then pick a fight a few hours later after she had a few drinks in her. "Lucas Eugene Scott! Why in the WORLD would you tell my father we'd visit?"

"I thought it would be nice," Lucas told her in a small voice, plopping down in the kitchen chair when Brooke paced around the room in a huff, cursing under her breath. "I mean, how hard could it be, Brooke? You haven't seen your parents in like three years!"

"And I'm perfectly fine with that! You don't understand! They love you, I mean my mom said she would leave my dad if she had a chance with you," Brooke whimpered, sending Lucas a glare when he looked at her smugly. "Wipe that grin off your face before I do it myself."

Lucas held his hands up in surrender. "Sorry. But, what's the worst that could happen? Your mom gets drunk…you guys fight, act like nothing happened the next day and we go home and act like we had a good time."

"No," Brooke crossed her arms defiantly. "I'm not going."

"You won't even go for me?" Lucas got up, narrowing his eyes when Brooke shook her head with a pout. His lips gently grazed the sensitive spot on her neck, hands snaking around her slender waist.

"Don't try to seduce me," Brooke warned with a slight giggle, trying to move away when Lucas cupped her butt. "I will not go with you!"

"You will," Lucas corrected, easing his tongue into Brooke's mouth when she slowly gave in. "And we'll have fun, go star stalking in Hollywood and if you're lucky..."

Brooke kinked an eyebrow, tilting her head back when Lucas' lips trailed down her neck, lightly nipping at her collarbone. "We can have plane sex?"

"Does this mean you're going?" Lucas stepped back a bit, wrapping Brooke in a big hug when she reluctantly nodded. "Did anyone tell you you're the most amazing wife, ever?"

"I'm used to it," Brooke shrugged one shoulder, slinging her arms around his neck before pressing his lips against his. "But, I swear, the minute my mother starts running her mouth we're leaving."

"I'll protect you," Lucas winked, peering into the living room to take in the sleeping girl on their couch. "How long is our guest staying for?"

"Probably just a few hours," Brooke told him, grabbing his hands to lead him into the living room. When Lucas wrapped his arms around her waist, she leaned into him happily. There was something about the scene that made her feel whole, like the missing piece of the puzzle was finally found. "It's nice though…isn't it?"

Lucas kissed the back of her head with a nod, knowing all too well that Brooke was going to get way into this and have a hard time taking Abby home. "We should probably let her sleep though," he reminded her softly, gently tugging on her arm. "You know what Jenny's like when wakes up from a nap…"

"I'll be right there," Brooke whispered, motioning for him to leave the room without her. She studied Abby's small body carefully, putting her hand over her racing heart at how utterly adorable she looked sucking her thumb with a mess of hair in her face. Peyton had told her numerous times how amazing it felt just to watch Jenny sleep, and to this day she felt completely flabbergasted that this was something she created.

And in the tiny moment Brooke watched Abby sleep, she finally knew what it was like to sit back and soak it all in. Abby was put on this earth for a reason, and for whatever that reason was, Brooke was going to make sure she was apart of it.

To her, it felt like Janice was fated to give birth to her…but Brooke was _destined_ to be her mother.


	13. Time Enough For Being Braver

**AN: Hi, remember me? Hehe. I'm so sorry, I always take forever to update. But, I went to NC to be an OTH extra cause I'm that lame and I met Sophia! That was like...my life goal. No, I'm sort of kidding. Well, anyways, I think we've reached the moment where you've all been waiting for. At least I hope so. Again, I'm so sorry for the wait. Please tell me what you think!**

**Oh, and I was also thinking about writing a Christmas story. What do you guys think? I've been trying to think of ideas and I have a few for a fluffy story. But, knowing me it will probably end up being dramatic so just keep that in mind. ;)**

--

As soon as Brooke stepped through the automatic doors of LAX, she immediately tore off her light jacket and threw it at her husband, trying to avoid the excited flashes of the paparazzi thinking it was someone famous. She rolled her eyes when they all grumbled she was a nobody, peering past her when the doors opened again.

"I cannot believe you really talked me into this," Brooke mumbled to Lucas, who was trying to keep up with her as he dragged her two suitcases on wheels and carried one on his back. "I already feel a headache forming right between my eyes. You know those awful ones?"

"Yeah," Lucas muttered, breathing a sigh of relief when they finally reached their rent-a-car. Brooke merely slipped in the front seat and crossed her arms over her chest, pouting when Lucas got in the driver's seat and started the car up. "Cheer up, sunshine. At least the weather's nice."

"Don't start," Brooke rolled her eyes, butterflies swarming in her stomach at the thought of seeing her mother. "And don't call me sunshine!"

"It's not going to be that bad," Lucas promised, fiddling with the radio until he found a song he-Brooke-actually liked. "I mean…your mom could have done a complete 360 in the past three years. For all you know, Barbara Davis could be the Carol Brady of the millennium!"

Brooke laughed out loud at the pure thought of that. "Yeah, right! And Britney Spears isn't a complete train wreck."

Lucas just sighed in defeat, momentarily taking his eyes off the road for a second to study his wife. She had a few drinks on the plane, even though he told her not to. Brooke ignored his protests and downed the alcohol quickly, letting it burn her throat until she needed to sip his water to get rid of the fire forming in the pit of her stomach. Alcohol didn't sit well with Brooke these days and adding his mother-in-law to the mix?

This was going to be one hell of a trip.

--

"Oh my god! You're finally here!" Barbara Davis screeched as she removed her expensive heels, tossing them aside to run down the walkway to greet her daughter and son-in-law.

Brooke blinked, trying to take everything in. Her mother did _not_ run, or throw her Jimmy Choo's off to the side for that matter. "Oh my god," she mimicked, looking up at her husband. "Tell me you packed a gun."

"Be good," Lucas warned with a tight grin, falling back into the car as Barbara flung herself into his arms. Brooke winced and took a few steps back, fiddling with the antenna while she watched Lucas awkwardly interact with her drunken mother. "Barbara…how, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing just _fine_, dear!" Barbara pinched his cheeks, turning to Brooke when she coughed nonchalantly. "Oh, don't you think I forgot about you, sweetie!"

Okay, her mother was definitely on something. The last time Brooke heard the nickname sweetie was well over twenty years ago.

"Hi, mom," Brooke said, practically through gritted teeth. "Where's, dad?"

"He's finishing off dinner!"

Lucas nearly choked; since when did Richard Davis cook?

"Is it going to be edible?" Brooke asked in small voice, reaching back for Lucas when her mother grabbed her hand and led her up the walkway. When they got inside the house, Brooke was shocked when Barbara excused herself and quickly rushed upstairs to use the "little girl's room.'"

"Lucas, I think we're in hell."

"At least it smells good," Lucas winked, placing his hand on the small of Brooke's back before leading her into the kitchen. His father-in-law was standing over a boiling pot of pasta before turning to the sauce sizzling in the pan next to it.

"Who are you and what have you done with my father?" Brooke gasped as she watched her dad drain the pasta and stir in the sauce.

"Princess!" Richard's face immediately lit up. Lucas went to laugh at the nickname, quietly shutting up when Brooke's elbow smashed into his ribcage. "I didn't even hear you come in! How are you?"

"A little tired," Brooke forced a yawn, hoping her father would let her skip dinner and just go to bed. She smiled when he bent down and hugged her tightly, feeling at ease when she realized he still wore the same cologne as he did twenty four years ago.

"Lucas, good to see you," Richard nodded, shaking the younger man's hand with a smile. "You two are just in time for my famous spaghetti Bolognese."

"Since when do you cook?" Brooke asked in a quiet whisper, sharing an amused smile with her father when he looked offended. "It's just…I don't think I've ever seen you near the stove!"

"Ah, well things have changed," Richard tapped Brooke's nose, leaning up to grab the plates. "After I retired, I enrolled in a cooking class and well, I don't need to brag, but my teacher said I was better than Emeril."

Brooke smiled widely, pretending she knew who that was.

As if he could read her mind, Lucas leaned down and whispered in her ear: "The one who yells bam! each time he cooks."

"Oh, cool!" Brooke clapped in excitement, kissing Lucas's cheek when Richard turned away to grab the drinks from the fridge. "Do you need any help, dad? Lucas has been off for the past few weeks so he hasn't been doing _anything_ at all!"

"Really?" Richard's demeanor suddenly changed. He eyed his embarrassed son-in-law up and down, passing over the plates so Lucas could set the table. "Is that really a good idea? I mean, can you live off Brooke's measly paycheck?"

"Dad," Brooke gasped in offence, never expecting something like that to come out of her father's mouth. Her mother's yes, but her father's? No. "We're doing quite fine, thank you very much. You act like I'm a waitress who works off tips!"

"Brooke, it's fine," Lucas said into her ear, pulling Brooke's arm back when she wasn't going to back down. "Come help me set the table…"

"I didn't mean it like that. Honestly," Richard held up his hands in defense, looking down when he locked eyes with his one and only daughter.

"Okay, I forgive you," Brooke told him quietly, sitting down next to Lucas at the dining room table. Everything looked so empty and she was beginning to wonder where all the maids were. "So, can I ask you a question?"

Before Richard could answer, he was cut off by Barbara's loud footsteps, closing his tired eyes when she practically fell in the chair next to him and right across from Brooke.

This wasn't going to be good.

"I just feel _so_ much better now!" Barbara fanned herself as she reached for the full wine glass in front of her, half the liquid disappearing down her throat in one gulp. "You know how your father always tells me not to eat Mexican…"

"Mom," Brooke groaned in disgust, dropping her fork overdramatically. Lucas grabbed her hand from underneath the table, knowing it was little things like these that always started their fights. "Keep your drunken rants to yourself, okay?"

"Young lady…"

"Brooke…"

"Excuse me?" Barbara cut both her husband and son-in-law off, her blood shot eyes narrowing into slits. "You've been in this house for ten minutes and you're already tried to start an argument?"

Brooke went to say something, sinking her teeth into her bottom lip in order to stop herself. She was tired and cranky…this was not going to end well. Lucas rubbed her shoulder and she shook his hand off, not wanting any sort of comfort from him right now. She missed the kids, Abby especially, and thinking about their tearful goodbyes made her want to cry in the middle of dinner. Even though it was just two days she'd be missing, they wailed and clung to her leg, pleading for her not go because they'd miss her too much.

"Just drop it," Brooke pleaded, the plaintive crack in her voice making her own heart quiver. She could usually suppress her mother's obnoxiousness with a little help of Lucas, but he wasn't doing anything to stop it. Sticking a forkful of spaghetti in her mouth, she was surprised at how good it tasted and took another bite before praising her father. "This is actually really good, dad! I'm surprised."

"I have to hand it you, Richard," Lucas began, taking a minute to take another bite before placing his fork down. "This _is_ the best spaghetti Bolognese I've ever had."

"Suck up," Brooke sang into her glass of wine, playfully hitting Lucas's shin with her foot underneath the table. She looked up when she felt her mother staring at her, nervously shifting in her seat when the older woman folded her hands on top of the table.

This _really_ couldn't be good.

"How's Haley doing?"

Brooke nearly choked on her food, never expecting her mother to ask about Haley at all. After all, it took the woman nearly ten years to get Haley's name correct. "W-what?"

"Lydia and I," Barbara began, talking animatedly with her hands. As much as she hated to admit it, that's where Brooke had gotten it from. "Have been…exchanging e-mails and well, she told me about Haley and Nathan."

"Oh," Brooke whispered. Since when did her mother and Lydia James talk? "Uh, well, last time I talked to her she was okay. They have a lot of problems to work out…but I think it will be okay."

"It's good to see you're still optimistic, princess," Richard smiled, his glasses glimmering against the expensive chandelier. "You two aren't headed down that road anytime soon, right?"

Through his peripheral vision, Lucas caught the look of pure horror on his wife's face and did his best to quickly intervene. Unfortunately for him though, the first thing he could think of was saying that he'd only divorce Brooke if Heidi Klum did the same with Seal. The Davis family, Brooke included, was not impressed.

The brunette took a moment to collect herself, taking a sip of wine and letting the alcohol soak in her veins. She could not and _would_ not sit through this dinner sober. "Why would you ask that?"

"I'm sorry, princess," Richard sighed, biting his tongue when he saw Brooke's fingers curl around the wine glass tightly. "It just slipped out of my mouth; you know how I am…"

"He didn't mean anything by it," Barbara was quick to rush to her husband's defense, glancing at her only child before continuing. The younger brunette looked miserable and she could tell her daughter did not want to be here. "How about we change the subject?"

"Great," Brooke snorted into her glass, taking one last gulp before reaching for the bottle in the middle of the table. She felt everyone's eyes on her and continued to fill it up until the wine nearly spilled over the top and onto the white table cloth. "What? I'm thirsty."

"I think you've had enough," Lucas whispered, taking the glass away as if she were some sort of child. He knew Brooke was going to fight back but he could not do this alone and having two drunken Davis women was not the way he wanted to spend his first night in California.

"I have not!" Brooke indeed fought back, leaning over Lucas to retrieve her wine glass. Most of it spilt in the process, the blood red liquid trickling down her finger tips as she licked them hastily. "Stop treating me like I'm a child! I am twenty four years old!"

Barbara's face suddenly lit up at the mention of children. "Oh! Speaking of…when are we going to become grandparents?"

The room fell silent as soon as Barbara's sentence ended. Lucas winced and Brooke's body stiffened, neither of them knowing how to answer a question that used to seem so simple years ago.

"Well, uh…" Lucas trailed off, relaxing a bit when he felt Brooke grab his hand from underneath the table. Her thumb ran across his knuckles and if she was being insanely calm about this, then he could too. At least that's what he told himself. "Within the next year I hope."

"That's wonderful!" Barbara gushed, reaching for another glass of wine. Brooke swiftly grabbed the bottle and placed it down next to her while glancing at her own drink. She _never ever_ wanted to become her mother and just by filling up her glass to forget about this dinner was making her one step closer into turning into the one person she vowed never to be like. "Have, well have you thought of names?"

"Abby," Brooke said through gritted teeth, her glare so deathly that it made both her parents cower back in fear. "Her name's Abby."

"The non-existent child already has a name?" Richard chuckled, stuffing his face with more spaghetti. Brooke sighed; she could usually count on her father but he was not helping one bit tonight.

"If you must know," Brooke paused, looking at Lucas for some sort of reassurance. They hadn't even told their closet group of friends about Abby and Brooke's parents weren't exactly the most trustful people on the planet. When she saw Lucas nod, she swallowed past the lump in her throat. This was the first time she'd be saying it out loud, in front of someone other then Lucas. "We're adopting."

Brooke and Lucas watched her parent's face scrunch up in confusion, nausea washing over them both when they remained silent. "Her name's Abby," Lucas continued for his wife. "She's four and uh, she's actually in Brooke's class."

"You're adopting someone in your class?" Richard raised a skeptical eyebrow, placing his fork and knife down. "Why?"

"Why?" Brooke scoffed. "Because, because her grandmother asked us to! Lucas had to take her away from her deadbeat mother because she was neglecting her. Her grandmother has cancer and…she doesn't want her ending up in a home. That's WHY."

"Brooke, why would you want to adopt?" Barbara cut in, her vision too foggy from the alcohol to notice the tears settling in her daughter's eyes. She was going to make this worse than it already was. "You leave that to Angelina Jolie and those other celebrities! Don't you want a baby of your own? For God's sake, Brooke! If this is about your figure you can get plastic surgery down there if you really want to!"

"Go to hell," Brooke spat, her voice laced with venom as she threw her napkin down and stormed out of the room. Lucas stared intently at his clean plate, wincing when the large front door slammed shut and caused the walls to vibrate.

"I'm sterile," he whispered, refusing to look up at his in-laws. He knew they were staring, probably in too much shock to utter a word. Standing up to his feet slowly, he too threw his napkin down and glared at Richard and Barbara, losing all respect for them completely. "That's _why_ we're adopting."

The older couple didn't even bother protesting. They bowed their heads as Lucas slowly left the room, exiting the house to go find his hysterical wife and calm her down. The sun was setting over the beach and for such a beautiful scene, it was a complete disaster. It felt like the sun was setting on his heart but he couldn't give up. Not now, not ever. Brooke depended on him and if he lost faith, she would as well. Their marriage was a quickie, poorly planned and although they never admitted it to one another, neither of them thought it would last.

"_Marry me."_

"_What?"_

"_You heard me. I said marry me."_

"_Lucas," Brooke tore her eyes away from the slots, gazing up at her boyfriend with widened eyes. "I, I don't know what to say. We're drunk…getting married in Vegas is totally Ross and Rachel."_

"_So what," Lucas shrugged, grabbing Brooke's drink out of her hand. His lips met hers and he did his best to hold onto her while she tried to pull away as soon as his tongue tried to enter her mouth. "Be my wife, Brooke Penelope Davis."_

"_I, I don't know what to say," Brooke whispered, all the alcohol suddenly leaving her body as his sincere words played around in her head. What did she have to lose? "I, I don't know, Luke! This is crazy! We've had way too much to drink."_

"_I don't need to be sober to know you're the one for me."_

Lucas fiddled with the gold band resting on his left ring finger, listening to the gravel crunch underneath his feet as he made his way down the long driveway in search of Brooke. He figured she needed time to collect herself because he did too.

However, he felt differently when the phone in his back pocket began to vibrate.

"Hello?" Lucas reluctantly answered, the caller ID coming up private.

"Mr. Scott? Hi, this is Dr. Adams from Tree Hill memorial hospital. I'm afraid I have some bad news…"

Lucas pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache forming right between his eyes.

He couldn't handle this right now.

--

Brooke sniffled audibly as she dug her toes into the sand, surprised (and thrilled) that her cell phone worked on the beach. She listened to the waves crash as she dialed Haley's number, running the sand through her fingers while waiting for her friend to pick up.

"Hello?" Haley's voice sounded tired and Brooke sighed heavily when she heard a yawn.

"Oh, Hales, I'm sorry," Brooke closed her eyes, letting the few remaining tears fall down her cheeks. "Did I wake you up? I keep forgetting that I'm three hours behind."

"It's okay, Brookie," Haley cleared her throat. "It's only 9:30 or something. I was just napping."

"What an exciting life you lead," Brooke giggled, genuinely happy for the time being. "How's Tree Hill?"

"Kinda lonely," Haley whispered as she fiddled with Mr. Waffles' arm. Brooke would never let her live this down if she knew that she still had her childhood toy. "My parents went out of town again and Tay's at work so I have the house to myself for a bit."

"Don't you go throwing any parties, you hear me?" Brooke warned sternly, smiling ear to ear when her comment elicited a laugh from Haley on the other end. "You could always call Nathan…"

Silence.

"I'm only joking, Hales," Brooke quickly added in when Haley failed to respond for a good two minutes. "I'm sorry, Haley. Talk to me, please."

"Are you okay, Brooke?" Haley noticed the quivering in Brooke's voice, biting the inside of her cheek when she heard her friend sniffle profusely until she spoke up again. "What did your parents do now?"

"Just…just stuff," Brooke's voice cracked, cursing under her breath when the tears began to fall down her cheeks again. "I shouldn't have come here, Haley. I really, really shouldn't have come here."

"I'm sorry, Brookie," was all Haley could manage for the time being. Even though she knew Brooke since the time she was two, Richard and Barbara Davis were hardly around and it was always awkward when they were. "Do you want me to come out there and hurt them? Or, I can bring Taylor with me…she knows how to insult people real good."

"No, that's okay," Brooke laughed a little, wiping a stray tear that fell down her cheek. "Thanks though. Maybe I should just give up wishing they'd change…after twenty four years…it's getting pretty old."

"Yeah," Haley agreed, rolling over to stare up at the ceiling. She expelled a breath and listened to Brooke ramble on about her flight, anything to take her mind off her mother's asinine comment. "You know my parents are always willing to adopt you."

Brooke grinned a bit, tilting her head back when she heard her husband's soft voice from behind her. She raised a confused eyebrow when he grabbed the phone from her ear, his glossy eyes sparkling in the fading sunlight. "Luke! What are you doing? I'm talking to Haley!"

"She's gonna have to call you back," Lucas's voice was gruff, not bothering to wait for Haley's response before hanging up. "We have to go, come on."

"What, why?" Brooke's voice cracked, letting out a tiny gasp when he easily lifted her into a standing position. "Lucas! What the hell is your problem?"

"We have to go. _Now_," Lucas practically yelled, his body shaking as he desperately tried to get a better grip on Brooke's arm.

"I know my parents are terrible people, but-"

There was no use fighting; Lucas threw Brooke over his shoulder and stormed up the beach, ignoring her fists pounding against his back. At this point, the fear had taken over and she became hysterical, hanging like a lifeless doll with her feet inches away from the ground.

"Brooke, I'm so sorry," Lucas heard his voice crack, easing Brooke down and holding her tiny body against his. She immediately buried her face into his neck and gripped the collar of his dress shirt. "I'm so sorry."

"You, you didn't do anything," Brooke reminded him softly, pulling back a bit to glance up at him.

He was crying and she felt like she'd be punched in the stomach.

"What happened, Luke?"

Lucas bowed his head, rubbing his hand up and down Brooke's back. _Why_ was it always _him_ that had to tell her the bad news? Their eyes met, fingers trembling as the two tried to lace them together.

"Why, why do we have to go home?"

"Brooke, you have to stay calm," Lucas swallowed past the large lump that lodged itself in his throat. "Can you do that for me? Can you _promise _me that you'll stay calm?"

The brunette took a step back, quivering spastically. "Just tell me!"

"Jean," his voice reduced to a whisper that was practically inaudible. "She's…Brooke she's in the hospital and they don't, they don't know if she's going to make it or not."


	14. Big Girls Don't Cry

**AN: I don't have too much to ramble about, but I'm on break for a month so I promise to update more often. Thanks for all the reviews, you guys are amazing! Oh, I also changed the summary so you can get a feeling as to what's about to come.**

**--**

The air was stale, bright halogen lights illuminated against her washed out pale skin. Brooke licked her dry lips, starting contently at the white tiles before fixing her gaze to the front desk when she was starting to see spots. She felt Haley's hand rub her back comfortingly, awkwardly mumbling things to try and make the situation better. On the other side, Taylor sat, playing with her nails because she had no idea what the hell to say.

Brooke tried to stop figuring out why she came in the first place…her head needed to be clear so when she finally saw Jean or Abby she could focus and not have her mind be elsewhere.

Haley stole a glance at her sister and glared slightly, biting her lip when Taylor rolled her eyes. Neither of them knew what to say and while Lucas was off trying to find anything about Jean, Brooke let her parent's words run through her head, causing the blood in her veins to boil.

"Can you believe my mother?" she finally let the words free, a sigh of relief escaping her lips.

"Doesn't surprise me," Taylor spoke up before Haley, shrugging her shoulders innocently when Brooke looked at her, perturbed. "Come on, Brooke; are you _actually_ surprised your mother was a bitch to you?"

"Taylor," Haley warned, the stern tone she attempted to use failing miserably. "Maybe you should mind your own business."

"Not really," Brooke whispered, ignoring Haley all together. It was times like these where she was grateful Taylor was so blunt. It was an endearing quality that older James girl possessed, but sometimes it drove Brooke and Haley nuts. Taylor never knew the right thing to say and always made situations worse than they already were.

"I would have told her to go shove a stiletto up her ass," Taylor continued without a care in the world. Brooke laughed a bit, nudging Haley when she remained solemn. She knew Haley got jealous some times when the three of them hung out together. "Of course, she probably wouldn't feel it because she would be drunk out of her mind…but it could be a good thing because you wouldn't be there in the morning when she woke up to feel it. I don't know, I still would beat her up."

Brooke let out a sigh, looking at Haley when she felt her head drop onto her right shoulder. "You guys can go home…Lucas should be back soon."

She didn't want to be alone but she could easily tell Haley was getting tired and in some way, she'd end up having to take care of her while trying her best to keep it together incase she saw Jean later that night.

"Tay?" Haley stifled her yawn, her eyes fluttering shut when Brooke absently ran her fingers through her blonde hair. "Will you go get me some coffee?"

Surprisingly, Taylor stood up without a protest, peering down at the two younger girls. "Do you want anything, Brooke?"

"No, I'm good," Brooke shook her head, tilting her head a bit to gesture towards the exhausted girl next to her. "Take her home, please? She's got enough to deal with."

"I just need coffee," Haley whined, rubbing her eyes as she felt Taylor grab her arm in an attempt to pull her out of the chair. Refusing to get up, she held tight to Brooke and pushed Taylor away with her foot until her older sister gave in. "I'll be fine! God, stop treating me like a child."

"Retract your class," Taylor hissed before Brooke could, sending Haley a death glare that could bring anyone to their knees. Brooke gnawed on her bottom lip and felt Haley's weight off her shoulders and sighed when she saw her best friend stare at the floor. "Maybe you should start acting like an adult if you want to be treated like one."

Brooke closed her eyes and buried her face into her hands; they were going to make a scene, she felt it.

Where the hell was Lucas?

"Excuse me?"

"Haley, sit down," Brooke warned, pulling at the back of Haley's shirt and tugging her back down in the seat. "Taylor, just go…go somewhere, please you two. I cannot, cannot listen to you fight right now."

"I don't understand why you came anyways," Haley asked bitterly, kicking the chair legs just to be annoying. "No one asked you!"

Taylor threw her hands up in there, feeling Brooke's eyes on her, mentally pleading with her to be the bigger person and stop. She let out a dramatic groan, turning on her heel before disappearing around the corner.

"I'm sorry," came Haley's small voice minutes later as she wrapped her arms around Brooke's trembling frame, knowing she was about to break soon. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

"I don't know where to start, Hales," Brooke's voice broke, tears glistening in the lights. Haley nodded her head encouragingly, her hand rubbing soothing circles on Brooke's back. "There's….there's so much."

"Well, I'm not going anywhere," Haley said in the best voice she could muster, trying to hold it all together when Brooke finally fell apart at the seams. "Brookie, it's okay, everything will be fine."

"I just want her to be okay," Brooke sniffled incoherently, using her sleeve to wipe her nose and tear stained eyes. On top of Jean's unconscious state, she had to deal with jet lag and her parent's disapproval of them adopting Abby. "She fought so long and so hard for Abby and she only got to have for a month! A month, Haley! Abby should have never, never lived with that awful woman and now…now I don't even know what's gonna happen!"

"What is gonna happen with, Abby?" Haley asked carefully, taking Brooke and Lucas's infertility into careful consideration. "I mean, Luke's still her social worker, right? He wouldn't put her in a home."

"Jean already has something lined up…"

"Oh, that's good," Haley whispered, unsure of herself. She listened to the silence they both created and continued to rub Brooke's back, resting her head atop of the brunette's when it rested on her shoulder. "Do you know anything about…about it?"

"Hales," Brooke laughed, despite the situation. She grabbed Haley's hand and squeezed it gently, resting it down on her lap. "It's me and Luke."

Haley fell silent. The exact reaction Brooke was expecting.

"Wow…since…since when?"

"When she first got her," Brooke replied with a small smile, a hint of dimples shining through. Haley noticed the distant sparkle in her friend's eyes and couldn't help but feel relieved. "It's just…you know when you wait something for so long and then you finally get it…"

"You don't know how to react?" Haley finished easily, nodding her head along with Brooke's. "This is big, Tigger…I mean really, really, amazingly big. Does, does Abby know?"

"I don't think so," Brooke's voice quivered again, running a shaky hand through the messy bun she created seconds before arriving at the hospital. "I think…I think I'm ready, Haley. I mean, I'm scared shitless but there's a part of me that knows I can do it. _We_ can do it."

"I think you can too," Haley smiled widely, leaning over to wrap Brooke in a much needed hug. "If anyone deserves it…it's you two. You're amazing with Jenny…and me," she added with a tiny whisper, "I think you'll do even better with Abby. Besides, she's already attached at your hip."

"You think so?"

"I _know_ so."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Haley waved Brooke off, squeezing her tighter when her friend buried herself further into her tiny arms. "I don't blame you. I haven't been the greatest friend in the world. Do Peyton and Jake know?"

"No, just you."

"Thanks," the blonde whispered, almost emotionally, burying her face into Brooke's arms when they switched positions. "For everything, Brookie, I mean it. God knows where I would be if it wasn't for you and Lucas."

"Me neither," Brooke giggled slightly, biting back the remainder of her tears. She rocked Haley back and forth when she felt the younger girl's grip tighten, as if she was holding on for dear life. "Hey, Hales?"

"Yeah?"

Softly, Brooke pulled Haley closer and whispered in her ear, "You'll always be my best friend. No matter how many kids you have or how many kids Lucas and I end up with…no one can replace you."

"Ditto," Haley intertwined her pinky with Brooke's, laughing at how childish they were. "I really need that coffee…where the hell is my sister?"

"I don't know, but I need some too," Brooke yawned, pulling Haley up with her. The two walked down the hall with their arms linked, struggling to walk in a straight line as they both tried to hold each other's weight.

"Starbucks would be amazing right now."

Brooke smiled, knowing Haley was trying to take her mind off the whole situation. She allowed the shorter girl to pull her along, stealing glances at the closed doors that lined the curvy hallway. Could Jean be in one of those? Hooked up to machine, praying for God to spare her life? Or, was her life already over?

"Brookie?" Haley asked softly, prodding her friend's shoulder when she noticed the brunette girl staring deeply into space. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Brooke blinked, her voice raspier than usual. She searched the halls for any signs of her husband, her heart slamming against her chest as she thought of Jean dying. "I need, I need to go find, Luke."

"Do you want me to come?"

"No, no, you stay here," Brooke said quickly, turning on her heel and pulling out of Haley's grip. She placed a quick kiss on Haley's cheek and rushed back towards the waiting room. "Excuse me?" she took a big breath, raising an eyebrow when she vaguely recognized the nurse from a couple weeks ago. "B-Betty, right?"

"I just go by, Betty," the older woman winked, frowning when Brooke didn't find her joke funny. "Are you here about, Jean?"

Brooke nodded solemnly, noticing the expression in Betty's face change immensely. "And, Abby?"

"Is she okay?" Brooke finally found her voice, tapping her fingers against the desk in order to keep her emotions in check. She needed to be strong, she needed to hold it together. "I mean, who's watching her? She's not alone is she? She must be so scared!"

"Calm down, calm down," Betty stood up, grabbing Brooke's forearms in an attempt to soothe the strangled sob that escaped. "She's fine, I promise you."

"You have to let me see her!" Brooke yelled, breathing heavily when she got a glare from a few other nurses. "Please, you don't understand! I need to see her…the poor girl must be so scared…"

Betty closed her eyes. "Go straight and then take a left when you reach the end of the hallway. Just tell the nurse there I said it was okay."

"Thank you so much," Brooke got out in one breath, weaving her way in and out of the various doctors and nurses as she made her way towards Abby. A nervous feeling settled in her stomach and before she had time to think about it, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and pull her close.

"Where are you going?" Lucas asked gruffly, trying to steady his wife's trembling body before she collapsed to floor. Brooke's reply was inaudible; muffled by heaps of sobs that she had been holding in all night. "Brooke, you have to, you have to hold it together, okay? Do it for, Abby…please?"

"I, I'm trying," Brooke closed her eyes as she heard the crack in Lucas's voice, signaling things were not looking good. "How, how's Jean?"

"Stable," Lucas choked out in a whisper, running his hands up and down Brooke's back to try and get the sobs to die down. "But, you have to…Brooke you have to take Abby home with you, okay?"

Brooke felt her heart drop to her feet, assuming the worst. "Lucas…shouldn't she stay with Jean?"

"No, no Jean just wants her to go home to bed," Lucas refused to look Brooke in the eyes, pulling away eventually when she tightened the grip on his shirt. "Can you do that for me?"

"Are you going to stay here?" Brooke asked in a small voice, blinking back her tears when Lucas nodded slowly. "Do you promise to call me if anything changes?"

"Promise," Lucas whispered, leaning down and placing a kiss on her forehead. He took her hand and led her towards the small waiting room to their left where a young nurse was currently trying to get Abby to sleep in the makeshift bed they created on the floor.

Connecting eyes with the flustered nurse, Lucas gestured to Brooke and squeezed her hand when the nurse slowly brought Abby over, trying to get the little girl's attention over her small whimpering. "Abby, look," she tried coaxing Abby to lift her head up, giving up all together when Abby refused. "Someone's here to see you."

Lucas gave Brooke a small push forward, sending a reassuring nod his wife's way when she looked back at him in fear. Brooke cleared her throat inaudibly, feeling her heart drop to her feet when her eyes finally met Abby's watery ones. Her face was bright red and she looked exhausted beyond belief. It took a moment for Abby to register who it was, but as soon as she connected the pieces, she flailed about in the nurse's grip and stretched her tiny arms out towards Brooke.

"Miss Brooke?" Abby whimpered heartbreakingly, blinking back the tears when Brooke stepped forward and held her tight.

"I'm here sweetie," Brooke whispered, swallowing past the lump that lodged itself in her throat as Abby held her neck tight and buried her face deep into the crook of her neck. "It's okay, Abby, it's okay."

"I want nana!" Abby cried as Brooke rocked her back and forth, twirling stray pieces of her teacher's hair around her fingers. "I, I don't wants to be here no more, Miss Brooke. I wanna go home!"

"I know you do, I know you do," Brooke began softly, pushing the small girl further up on her hip when she began to slide down. Lucas rubbed Brooke's back, urging her to go own. "But you know what? You're gonna come home with me, how does that sound?"

Abby lifted her head off of Brooke's shoulder and looked at Lucas, sticking her thumb in her mouth as she held on to the blanket and stuffed monkey in her arms. "What about my nana? Can she come to your house too?"

"She's gonna stay here," Lucas said, ruffling Abby's hair a bit when her bottom lip quivered. "I'm gonna stay with her though, okay? She won't be alone."

"O-otay," Abby relented as she dropped her head back on Brooke's shoulder, sniffling slightly every now and again. "Mr. Lucas? Can you tell nana I love her?"

Lucas blinked back his own tears, leaning forward to place a kiss on the young girl's forehead. "Of course I will."

"Call me," Brooke whispered into Lucas's ear, kissing his cheek quickly before turning her attention back to Abby. "Please, Luke? I don't care how late it is…please call me."

"I will," Lucas stressed, pulling her in for a side hug, careful not to disturb Abby as she finally seemed to drift off. "You can do this," he leaned down, nuzzling her cheek softly with his face. "I love you."

"I love you too," Brooke bit back her tears, turning on her heel in search of Haley and Taylor.

She looked down at Abby and watched her sleep peacefully, a feeling of relief washing over her. As long as Abby stayed asleep for the ride home, things would be okay.

"I can do this," Brooke told herself, rubbing her hand up and down Abby's back. She took a deep breath and continued down the hall, weaving her way in and out of the various doctors and nurse.

Jean trusted her with Abby's well-being and that was something that made her want to try even harder.

"I _can_ do this."

--

Haley opened the front door to Brooke's house and shared a small smile with her friend when they stepped foot in the house. Abby stayed asleep the whole time, much to Brooke's happiness.

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay?" Haley asked softly, smoothing down Abby's hair. "Taylor will be fine by herself. I, I mean I would much rather spend the night with you guys than her."

"Hales," Brooke laughed, easing Abby out of her arms and onto the couch for the time being. "If you want to stay, stay."

"God, Brooke," Haley laughed uneasily, fixing her gaze to the floor when the brunette snorted in laughter. "You don't need to beg. I'll stay."

"I'm fine though," Brooke told her shorter friend, nudging her shoulder playfully. "I've done this a million times with Jenny. But, I'm gonna put her in the guestroom before she wakes up so you just make yourself at home."

"Wait, where am I gonna sleep?" Haley pouted, stepping out of Brooke's way when she lifted Abby back into her arms and headed towards the stairs.

"Hales," Taylor's exasperated voice broke the silence as the front door swung open, shutting loud enough just to make Abby stir just a bit. "Are you coming or are you gonna make me wait outside all night?"

"Be quiet!" Haley hissed, biting her lip when she watched Abby rub her eyes tiredly and lift her head off Brooke's shoulder to take in her surroundings. "You woke her up!"

"I'm sorry!"

"It's fine," Brooke bit out through gritted teeth, swaying Abby back and forth just incase she decided to start crying. "Hi, sweetie."

Abby yawned and closed her eyes for a moment, confusion written all over her cute face. "Miss Brooke! Am I at your house?"

"You are," Brooke nodded, raising her eyebrows when Abby smiled and craned her neck to look at the two James sisters. "Do you want to go to bed, sweetie? Or, do you want to yell at these two for waking you up?"

"Bed," Abby pouted, resting her head back onto Brooke's shoulder. "I just, Miss Brooke I just want to go to bed!"

"I know, sweetie," Brooke whispered, motioning for Taylor to take Haley. She knew Haley meant well, but she just wasn't in the mood dealing with her best friend now that she had Abby to look after. "Hales, I love you and everything, but go home. Please?"

"Fiiine," Haley sighed playfully, looking at Taylor with a frown. She leaned up and gently wrapped Brooke and Abby in a hug, allowing her sister to pull her near the door. "Call me if you need me."

"Bye guys," Brooke smiled, rubbing Abby's back when she shyly waved to the two James girls. Taylor playfully pushed Haley out the door and carefully shut it behind her, making Brooke giggle as the two found something to argue about once they got outside. "So, what do you think of Haley's crazy sister?"

"She's pretty!" Abby enthused, nodding her head when Brooke raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Is, is she the mean one? Cause, I, I don't think she was mean!"

"Nah, she's not that mean," Brooke told her with a wink, slowly making her way up the large staircase. As long as she could keep both of their minds off Jean, everything would be fine. "They just like to fight a lot…it's a sister thing."

"Ohhh," Abby yawned, continuing to twirl Brooke's hair around her fingers. "Where do I sleep, Miss Brooke?"

"Well," Brooke began, turning on the hall light once she reached the top of the stairs. "We have a bed where Jenny usually sleeps or…"

"I sometimes sleep with nana," Abby sniffled, her tears glimmering in hallway light. Brooke's heart broke and she did her best to calm the young girl down before she started crying again. "Cause, cause I have bad dreams about…about mommy."

"Oh, Abby," Brooke sighed, clutching the young girl closer than possible as she cried into her shoulder. She felt Abby's moist tears against her skin and bit back her own, stepping into her own bedroom and sitting down on the edge of her bed. "It's okay, sweetie, it's okay."

"Will nana be otay?" Abby asked innocently, looking up at Brooke with a trembling lower lip. "Cause…cause if nana's not otay…I won't be otay."

Brooke honestly did not know what to say. Instead, she ran her fingers through Abby's hair and listened to the young girl sob relentlessly, clutching Brooke's arm for dear life. "Ssh, Abby, calm down, okay? Can you do that for me?"

"I, I just want nana," Abby sniffled, trying to stop her tears as Brooke held her tight and ran her fingers through her hair. "Miss Brooke, please! I need my nana!"

"I know you do, I know you do," Brooke whispered, trying her best to hold herself together. Abby _needed_ her right now and that was a damn good reason to keep her emotions in check. "I know I'm not your nana, but you have me now. I promise you, Abby, everything will be okay."

Abby rubbed her eyes and slowly nodded, resting her head against Brooke's chest. "I'm sorry, Miss Brooke. I'm s'posed to be a big girl!"

Brooke smiled and brushed the hair out of Abby's face, sitting her down next to her on the bed. "You're still a big girl, sweetie. Remember what I said at the hospital? You're the _bravest_ girl I know."

"Yeah, I member," Abby smiled shyly, looking up at the head of the bed while Brooke stifled her yawn. "Miss Brooke? Can, can I sleep in your big bed tonight? I'll be a good girl and go right to sleep!"

"Climb in," Brooke pulled the covers back, her heart fluttering against her chest as Abby squealed and crawled under the heap of blankets. "Do you need any water or anything before you go to sleep?"

"No," Abby yawned, shaking her head with a tired smile. "I just, I just need…nana always tells me a story before bed."

"A story, huh?" Brooke tickled Abby under the arms, carefully climbing over her to get to the other side. "What kind of story?"

"Any!"

Brooke flopped back against the headboard dramatically, trying to think of any story to help Abby get to bed. "Hmm, do you want me to tell you the time Haley's head got stuck in the banister? Let me tell you, it was probably the funniest thing I've ever seen. I mean we had to put butter in her hair and everything…"

Abby giggled tiredly as she buried her face into the comfortable pillow, holding her blanket and monkey tight to her chest. She let the faint scent of Brooke engulf her and shut her tired eyes, opening them every now and again to look at Brooke.

"What's wrong?"

"I, I just wants to make sure you're still here," Abby whispered, closing her eyes again when Brooke ran her hand through her hair. "Night, Miss Brooke."

"Night, sweetie," Brooke whispered back, settling herself underneath the covers as she kept a watchful eye on Abby. "I'll always be here," she told her inaudibly, letting her eyes eventually flutter shut.

It was a struggle at first, but she could definitely get used to this.


	15. Hallelujah Came Like a Train

**I just wanted to say thank you for sticking with me and my sporadic updates. I'm getting kinda better, right? Heh, anyways, please tell me what you think and I'll love you forever!**

--

The next morning, a mere five and a half hours later, Brooke awoke to an empty bed and the autumn wind tapping against her window. It took a moment for her to regain her composure, but as soon as she registered Abby missing, her heart rate began to speed up and she was out of the bed as if it were being lit on fire.

She ran down the stairs and stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the kitchen, the sight in front of her nearly bringing tears to her hazel eyes; Lucas was holding Abby in his arms, the two hovering over a bowl of what Brooke assumed to be pancake batter. Abby was giggling happily while Lucas looked on with a proud smile, watching the little girl add more and more chocolate chips to the already filled batter.

"Do you think Brooke likes _that_ much chocolate?" Lucas asked in hesitation, not picking up on his wife's presence behind him. Abby nodded her head vigorously and continued to tip the bag upside down, frowning when all the contents spilled out at once. "When I made her chocolate chip pancakes all she did was complain!"

"I make good ones!" Abby promised, leaning forward a bit to grab the whisk and mix the batter all around. "S'okay, Mr. Lucas, boys can't cook!"

"Says who?" Lucas asked in mock offense, gently prying the instrument out of Abby's hands so he could hold her high above his head and tickle her until she took back her comment. "Who said boys can't cook?"

"Dunno!" Abby howled, squealing in delight as Lucas continued to tickle her and then eventually hang her upside down. Her long hair fell in her face and when she pushed it back, she caught Brooke's smiling gaze and clapped her hands in excitement. "Miss Brooke! You're, you're up!"

"I am," Brooke laughed, tilting her head and kneeling down a bit so she was at Abby's level. She poked Abby's stomach before leaning up and kissing Lucas's cheek, inhaling the comforting scent of his cologne. If he was in a good mood, all had to be well with Jean. At least that's what she told herself. "What are you guys doing up so early?"

"Making break-a-fast!" Abby stumbled over the big word, pouting adorably when Brooke and Lucas couldn't help but laugh at her. She steadied herself on her small feet and tugged at Lucas's hand, reaching her arms up so she could continue with the pancake batter. "We were aposed to bring it to you in bed! But you woked up!"

"Yeah," Lucas whispered, reaching out to rub Brooke's shoulder when she looked horrified at her simple decision to get out of bed. Abby was missing so she panicked. It was a normal reaction! "Way to ruin it, Miss Brooke," he teased with a smirk, resisting the urge to lean over and kiss Brooke's protruding lip.

Having a four-year old around was definitely going to put numerous restrictions on his relationship with Brooke for now.

"Sorry!" Brooke threw her hands up in the air, collapsing in the kitchen chair a few feet away. She tried to take her mind off thinking about Jean and the current sight of her husband and Abby just laughing and making a complete mess was enough to do it. Sure, she was probably going to have to clean it all up, but she didn't really mind for the time being. "Do you guys plan on making me some scrambled eggs, too?"

"Yucky!"

Lucas quirked an amused eyebrow and set Abby back down on her feet when she started to squirm. "What the hell, heck, I mean heck, do you think this is? A restaurant?"

"I'm hungry," Brooke said in a small voice, lifting Abby into her lap when she ran over and practically jumped on top of her. To this day, it still amazed Brooke at how much Abby had progressed over the few short months they had known each other. Gone was the shy little girl who winced each time she was spoken to and here was a young four year old who was mature beyond her years and so damn cuddly that it made Brooke (and Lucas) turn into a puddle of goop. "Alright, since there are no eggs, what's for breakfast, sweetie?"

"Pancakes!" Abby informed her excitedly, throwing her arms around Brooke's neck and squeezing her tight. Brooke returned the hug immediately and patted her back, turning away shyly when Lucas looked at her in amazement. His wife had grown up so much over the years and it was such a relief to see that Abby filled some of the void in both of their hearts from not being able to have kids of their own. "With lots and lots of chocolate!"

"Oh, sounds…good," Brooke grimaced as she watched Lucas pour some of the batter onto the griddle. They were practically brown and the sight alone was enough to make her sick. However, since Abby was excited about them she had to grin and bear it and pray that it didn't all come back up later on.

"Miss Brooke," Abby whispered, tugging on Brooke's arm when she seemed to be transfixed by the brown slop Lucas was currently mixing. She fixed her gaze down to the little girl and smiled, letting Abby know she was listening. "How, how is nana doing?"

Lucas looked up from the griddle and carefully placed the spatula down, kneeling down to get eye level with Abby when Brooke fell silent and didn't answer. "Your nana's, she's doing…well she's not doing too well, sweetie."

Abby's lower lip immediately trembled as she buried her face into the crook of Brooke's neck, sticking her thumb into her mouth as her pretty eyes filled up with unshed tears. "Why?"

"She's really sick-"

"Did the hospital people give her medicine?"

"Yes-"

"Then why isn't she otay?" Abby whimpered, looking up at Brooke for the right answer. The older brunette sighed and rocked Abby gently back and forth, desperately trying to think of the right thing to say. "I need nana to be a-otay!"

"I know you do," Brooke's voice cracked, kissing the top of Abby's head before letting Lucas take over and hold Abby tight. She looked so tiny in his big arms and her breath caught in her throat when Abby finally burst into sobs. "But, sweetie, your nana's in a lot of pain…and…the doctors are trying everything to make your nana feel better, but sometimes when a person's in a lot of pain…"

"They go to heaven with the angels," Abby finished sadly, rubbing her moist eyes with her small fist. Lucas patted her back and pulled Brooke in a side hug, holding both girls close. "Nana, nana and daddy will be wif each other?"

"Yes," Lucas nodded, adjusting Abby on his hip when she began to slide down. He cleared his throat and looked at Brooke, knowing she was trying to hold in her tears and be strong _again_. Apart of him wanted to break down right along with her, but Abby was slowly calming down and the last thing he wanted was to upset her more. "Your nana and dad will be together and you know, they'll watch over you and be your guardian angels."

"Oh," Abby responded in a tiny voice, looking at Brooke for some sort of confirmation. When her teacher nodded, she whimpered inaudibly and snuggled into Lucas's big arms, holding on tight when she felt like he was going to put her down. "Mr. Lucas, Miss Brooke?"

"Yeah?" Brooke and Lucas responded at the same time, Brooke running her fingers through Abby's tangled brown hair.

"If nana goes to heaven…do I go with her, too?"

Brooke swore she heard her heart shatter as Abby stared at her expectantly, her innocent eyes sparkling with fear and apprehension. "No, sweetie, you don't go to heaven with your nana."

"But, but," Abby burst into tears again, kicking her legs wildly when Lucas tried to calm her down by bouncing her slightly. "I'll be all alone! I don't, I don't wants to go live with mommy again!"

"No, no, no," Lucas corrected softly, resting his chin on Abby's head as Brooke rubbed her back soothingly, whispering comforting words in her ear. "Don't worry; you'll never have to go back and live with your mom again."

"Never, ever?" Abby asked with widened eyes, tilting her head back to see if Brooke's facial expression matched Lucas's. "Cross your heart?"

"Cross my heart," Brooke made a quick X over her heart, leaning forward to place a soft kiss on Abby's forehead. Figuring the situation, it seemed like the right time to inform the young girl of what was going to happen after her grandmother passed away. "How, how would you feel if you came to live with us?"

Although for just a tiny second, Abby's face lit up in excitement. However, the fear of losing her beloved grandmother had set in and she was soon in a fit of tears that were unable to cease. "I wants to live with you AND nana! I don't wants nana to go to heaven without me!"

"Do you want to go see, nana? Brooke asked softly, taking over for Lucas when he seemed to become a mute. She rocked Abby back and forth in her arms and mustered her best smile when Abby nodded her head vigorously. "Okay, sweetie. Let's go get ready and we'll go see her. Sound good?"

Abby swallowed and got down to her feet, peering back up at the Scott's before asking the most heartbreaking question to ever grace her young mind: "Will nana still be…will nana not be in heaven when we go?"

Brooke and Lucas shared a look of horror, both silently praying that God could be on their side for just _once_ in their lives.

--

It was an eerie feeling being back in the hospital a mere twelve hours later. Both Abby and Lucas were silent the whole car ride and Brooke was starting to fidget when she couldn't find a song on the radio that would be able to calm their nerves. It was times like these where she wished she was a kid again; at least then she'd have a carefree state of mind and would still be too naïve to recognize that her life was about to change drastically.

Abby clutched her stuffed monkey tight to her chest as she trailed behind Brooke and Lucas absently, silent tears streaming down her cheeks as the bright lights practically blinded her eyesight, various nurses and doctors staring at her in shock…as if it were illegal for her to be walking down the insanely sterile hallway. At four, her young mind couldn't fully process the fact her grandmother was going to leave earth soon. To her, heaven was a place that everyone strived to go, a place where she was safe from her neglectful mother. Some times when she couldn't sleep at night, she thought about Janice…where she was, what she was doing. Did her mother even miss her? Hell, did she even love her?

Love was something that most young children grasped easily, but for Abby it was something that never existed until she met Brooke and Lucas and moved in with her grandmother. It was unfair that she had to wait four long years to learn what love was…the effect it could have on people. Being deprived of something so vital at a young age robbed her of so many milestones and other achievements other kids her age got to experience. She didn't have a baby book, no pictures of her first step, no video of her first word, nothing. The worst part was, no matter how much she prayed and how hard she strived to be a good little girl, no one granted her one wish. She just wanted someone to _love_ her.

However, looking up at Brooke and Lucas with a watery smile, she knew that all the nights she spent lonely and afraid were suddenly a distant memory in her brain because of the young couple standing before her and her courageous grandmother who took every ounce of strength she had left and turned it into something that turned her life around. Granted, Abby still didn't fully understand her situation, but to her, the greatest outcome of the struggles she faced daily was going to be firmly engraved on her mind for the rest of her life.

Someone did love her and despite what her mother had told her on numerous occasions, she did_ deserve_ to be in this world.

Brooke fell a step behind Lucas and looked down at Abby, raising a concerned/interested eyebrow when she saw the little girl smiling slightly as she continued down the winding hallway, running her hand along the cool walls that were covered in a dull wallpaper. Her heart felt like it was being ripped open at the seams…Abby didn't deserve this. Brooke's initial apprehension took over as the three loomed closer to Jean's hospital room. God, what happened if Abby thought death was temporary? What if she wanted to visit heaven to go see her grandmother? All the what if's plagued her mind, making her feel like she _couldn't_ do this.

"Miss Brooke?" Abby pulled on her hand, snapping her back to reality. She held up her arms for the older woman to lift her up and when she did, she squeezed Brooke tight and kissed her cheek, almost in reassurance. "It's, it's otay to be scared, right?"

"Of course," Brooke whispered with a faint smile, leaning her forehead against Abby's. Lucas stopped outside Jean's hospital room and poked his head in, making sure she was…alive. "Remember, you're a very, very brave girl."

"What if I cwy?" Abby sucked her thumb shyly, letting her head drop to Brooke's shoulder and closing her eyes. "Nana says big girls don't cry!"

"It's okay to cry," Lucas cut in, kissing the back of Abby's head before taking her from Brooke. He waved off Brooke's glare with a quick kiss to her lips, realizing they were both being quite possessive of the small girl. "Don't be scared, okay, honey? Your nana's hooked up to a lot of machines to help her breathe…just think of something else if you get too scared."

"Otay," Abby nodded, expelling a breath rather loudly when they finally entered the room. She locked eyes with her pale, frail grandmother and wanted to cry so badly. But instead of breaking down, she let Lucas sit her down on the uncomfortable mattress and hold her grandmother's trembling hand. "Hi, nana."

Jean smiled, her eyes filling with tears as she gestured for Brooke and Lucas to stay. They needed to hear this too. "Have you," she paused, coughing slightly to get rid of the hoarseness in her small voice. "Have you grown since I last saw you?"

Abby gasped, her grandmother's remark eliciting a delightful laugh. "No!"

"Are you sure?" Jean pressed on, smiling warmly when Brooke leaned into Lucas, burying her face into his chest while Abby continued to giggle and act so carefree. "You're about as big as a house now!"

"Na-huh!"

"Must be my eyes then," Jean winked, pointing to the small chairs that were situated next to her bed. "You two come have a seat! Don't be a stranger."

"Would you like some time alone?" Brooke asked, the plaintive crack not going unnoticed by everyone in the room. "I mean, if you want to talk to Abby…we can go take a walk. Are you hungry? What kind of crap do they feed you in here?"

"She's not a fan of hospitals," Lucas informed Jean in a slight whisper, rubbing Brooke's shoulders when he felt her tense up beside him. "But, if you want some time alone…feel free to kick us out."

"Nana, you gets your own special bed!" Abby exclaimed, breaking the silence that the three adults created. She leant forward and grabbed the remote to the TV, dropping it immediately when Jean nicely told her not to touch. "Can I gets my own special bed if I has to sleep here too?"

"Yes, but you won't have to," Jean laughed, only erupting into a coughing fit mere seconds later. Abby cowered back in fear and held out her arms for Lucas, her lower lip trembling violently when Jean continued to cough loudly.

"Do you want some water?" Brooke swooped in, hoping to make the situation better and ease Abby's fear. She rubbed the older woman's back and helped her hold the cup to her mouth, winking at Abby when the little girl looked at her in amazement.

"You're so brave, Miss Brooke," Abby whispered, more to herself. She climbed up to the head of the bed and helped Jean sip the cup of water, her mouth falling open in shock when all the liquid was gone. "Nana! You dranked it all!"

"I was very thirsty," Jean informed her granddaughter, wiping the stray droplets off her lips before holding out her arms for Abby to snuggle into. "Did, did Brooke and Lucas tell you what's going on?"

"Yeah," Abby nodded sadly, carefully playing with the IV in Jean's left hand. "They said you gots to go to heaven…and I can't come."

"That's right," Jean nearly breathed a sigh of relief, leaning her head back on the pillow when she felt a wave of nausea hit her. Her heart was beating sporadically and her vision was getting hazy…she was reaching the end of the line, she knew it. "And you're going to go live with them because they…they care about you very, very much."

Lucas didn't know whether or not to say anything. He didn't want to overstep Jean's boundaries, but he couldn't help himself. "Hey, cutie," he started in a whisper, leaning over to grasp Abby's hands in his own. "Brooke and I just want you to know that whatever you need, we're here for you, okay? So don't be afraid to ask us any questions, alright?"

"Kay," Abby nodded, looking back up at Jean. The older woman had her eyes close and out of impulse, she pressed her ear up against Jean's chest and breathed a sigh of relief when she heard her grandmother's heart still beating. She carefully climbed out of Jean's arms and into Brooke's, peering down as her grandmother peacefully slept. "I think nana needs her rest."

"Yeah," Brooke agreed, patting Abby's back. "How about we let nana rest and come back tomorrow?"

"I think that nana would like that," Abby nodded with a small smile, leaning forward and kissing Jean's forehead nosily. "Nana? Will you be here or in heaven tomorrow?"

Jean smiled, her eyes remaining closed until she found the strength to open them and peer up at her granddaughter. "I should be here, but if I'm not…can you promise to be a good girl and do everything Brooke and Lucas say?"

"Promise!"

"That's my girl," Jean whispered, reaching out to pat Abby's legs that were swinging back and forth frantically. "I love you, baby."

"I love you too!" Abby squealed, twirling Brooke's hair around her fingers and sticking her thumb in her mouth. Brooke had grown to learn that signified Abby was getting tired and was ready for a nap. "Okay, nana, you gets some sweep a'cause we'll be back tomorrow!"

"Bye, Jean," Lucas said, squeezing the elderly woman's hand gently. Brooke did the same and held onto Abby tight, rubbing her back to get the little girl to sleep faster. At least for the car ride home she'd sleep for a bit. "We'll…uh…we'll see you tomorrow."

"You will," Jean responded after a pause, smiling at Brooke when she looked down at her, her eyes filled with tears. "Don't worry, Brooke, I'll be here."

"I know you will," Brooke's voice cracked, holding on to Abby for dear life when they exited the hospital room. Lucas kissed the back of her head reassuringly and they repeated the same steps they did the previous night. "Are you coming home…or staying with her? Do you think I should stay..."

"No, it's okay," Lucas sighed, rubbing her back. "Come on, Brooke, it's alright."

"Is she asleep?"

"Out like a light," Lucas responded softly, brushing the hair out of Abby's eyes incase it bothered her later on. He looked back up at his wife and did the same to her, trying his best to bestow some sort of confidence upon her. "Do you want me to hold her? Is she getting heavy?"

Brooke couldn't help but laugh, a dimply smile in full effect when he subtly tried to pry Abby out of her arms. "You'll wake her up!"

"I just want to hold her," Lucas practically whined, smiling victoriously when Brooke reluctantly gave in. He rested Abby's head on his shoulder and could feel her tiny heartbeat against his, savoring the moment while it lasted. "Can you believe this is really happening?"

"I'm, I'm just sad about Jean," Brooke sniffled, leaning into his embrace while they walked into the elevators. "I wish she wasn't sick. God knows I'd trade my mother's health for hers instantly."

"I'm sure you would," Lucas laughed to himself.

"I love you, do you know that?" Brooke broke the silence, kissing his cheek quietly while doing the same to Abby. "And…"

"I know," Lucas whispered, knowing exactly what Brooke meant. "Alright, she's getting kinda heavy now. Do you want to take her?"

"We're gonna need to make a schedule or something," Brooke giggled, adjusting Abby on her hip and biting back her curse words when the little girl stirred. "Hi, sweetie…I'm sorry for waking you up."

"S'okay," Abby yawned, rubbing her tired eyes with a small smile. "I just wants to say thank you."

"For what?" Lucas asked softly, rubbing circles on Abby's back when she fell silent for the time being.

With a small shrug, Abby looked at the two shyly before breaking into a smile that melted both of their hearts instantly. "Just a'cause you're my hero, Mr. Lucas. I member you said you'd save me! And you, and you did!"

"He saved me too," Brooke broke in with a wink, slapping Lucas's chest when he grinned cockily. "He's a pretty good guy, huh, Abby?"

Abby held two thumbs up before snuggling back into Brooke's arms, letting her heavy eyes flutter shut. She listened to Brooke and Lucas whisper carefully, smiling against the brunette's shoulder. Even though she knew her grandmother was going away soon, she had Brooke and Lucas and she finally felt like someone had answered her prayers.

She just hoped they would love her as much as she was going to love them.

_--_

_"__People ask me: 'What about gay adoptions? __Interracial?__Single Parent?'__ I say: 'Hey fine, as long as it works for the child and the family is responsible.' My big stand is this: Every child deserves a home and love. __Period."_

_-Dave Thomas_


	16. Would You Like to Leave This Human Race?

**AN: Sorry for the long wait! I went back to school and I haven't been able to wrap this up. I added a link in my profile as to what Abby's supposed to look like so you can get a visual or something, haha. Anyways, as usual, there will be some "drama" coming up involving Abby so I hope you'll stick around for that! Thanks so much for the reviews, they really make my day.**

--

"So, explain this to me one more time?"

With a small groan that could easily mirror Brooke's, Abby looked up at Lucas and pouted slightly. "Dora is an explorer! She goes with her monkey, Boots!"

Lucas scratched his head in utter confusion, frowning when the small cartoon characters began to speak Spanish. "She's bilingual?"

"No, Mr. Lucas!" Abby threw her hands up in frustration, lightly throwing her own stuffed monkey at him when he chuckled. "She's Dora!"

"I know she's Dora," Lucas jumped to his own defense. "Who's this dude with her? Her boyfriend?"

"Diego is her cousin!" Abby exclaimed in shock, burying her face into the pillow when Lucas laughed harder at how riled up she was getting. She was definitely hanging around Brooke too much. "Sheesh, you ask so many questions!"

"Can't we watch ESPN?"

"I don't know what that is."

"It's amazing," Lucas told the little girl, reaching for the remote. Abby immediately squealed and grabbed it first, stuffing it up her shirt and fidgeting when it was cold against her skin. "Hey, come on! We've been watching this all morning!"

Arguing with a four-year old; he really needed to go back to work at some point.

"Nana always lets me watch what I want to watch," Abby whimpered genuinely, holding her hands out for Lucas when she felt the tears well up in her eyes. Lucas sighed heavily and pulled her into his arms, tossing the remote across the couch when it fell out of her pajama top. He rubbed soothing circles around Abby's back and did his best to keep her calm before she started crying hysterically.

"Alright, we can watch Dora," he whispered into her ear, repositioning Abby so she was snug on his lap. She clung tightly to his arm that was wrapped around the front of her body, sticking her thumb in her mouth to help herself calm down. He made a face when a fox jumped out of nowhere and even though he would never admit it, it sort of frightened him a little. "Okay, so now who's this?"

"Swiper," Abby responded in a small voice, rubbing her eyes with her free hand. "He likes to steal stuff from Dora. He's not very nice."

"I see," Lucas mumbled, glancing at the clock that hanged above the fireplace. He and Brooke had opted not to let Abby go back to school while Jean was still in the hospital. She tried, but just ended up breaking down in the middle of the day and Lucas had to come get her. It took all his effort to make Brooke actually go to work after the incident, reassuring her that he could handle it. "Do you want anything? Juice? A fox named swiper?" he tickled her slightly, hoping to get at least a smile.

Abby shook her head solemnly, climbing off Lucas's lap and grabbing the remote before shoving it into his large hands. "I don't wants to watch this no more."

"How come? I mean…it was just getting good. I didn't know backpacks could talk!"

"S'ok, Mr. Lucas, you can change it," Abby whispered with a small whimper, grabbing Bananas and sliding off the couch. She slowly made her way over to the large bay window, hoisting herself up onto the ledge and staring absently out at the street. Their neighborhood was vastly different from her grandmother's; they were hardly and children around and it all the houses looked the same.

Lucas shut the TV off and took a deep breath, kneeling down in front of Abby when she finally registered he was staring behind her. "What's wrong, cutie?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Shoot," Lucas nodded encouragingly.

"Does God not like me?" Abby asked shyly, her eyes sparkling in the light as she looked up at Lucas in utter confusion and pain. She was only four; she didn't deserve this many tragedies so early on in her life.

"Now, now why would you ask that?" Lucas asked when he finally found his voice, scooping Abby up and settling her on his hip. She refused to look at him, squirming around until he finally set her down. The little girl cowered back and stood against the wall, shaking violently. Lucas was beginning to worry, praying that Brooke was going to walk through that door soon. "Abby, sweetie, what's wrong?"

Abby closed her eyes and shook her head, her messy ponytail swinging all around when Lucas tried to approach her. When he touched her shoulders gently, she recoiled back with a scream, her bottom lip jutting out and tears streaming down her face in pools. "No, no, no! Go away! Go away!"

"It's okay," Lucas tried to soothe her, biting back his curse words when Abby dodged his arms and slumped down against the wall, holding her knees tight to her chest while burying her face into them. Her small body was wracked with sobs and she could only hear her mother's voice, yelling and screaming at her all because she asked one simple question. "Abby, Ssh, it's okay."

"I didn't mean to ask!" Abby sobbed, screaming bloody murder when Lucas finally picked her up, flailing all about in his arms. She tried hitting his chest, kicking his thighs but he would not let go. "Let me down! Please! Please, I didn't, I didn't mean to ask! Please, don't, don't hurt me!"

"A-Abby," Lucas's voice cracked, silent tears falling down his face as soon as Abby began to choke on the tears. Her little arms held his neck so tight, making it harder to breathe. Her face was buried deep into his shoulder, tears hitting his skin every once and a while. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Abby remained silent, her chest heaving up and down heavily as Lucas rocked her back and forth, a nauseous feeling forming in her stomach as her thoughts seemed to be fixated on her mother.

_"Mommy?"_

_"What?" the response was ice cold, dead silence following after until Abby could find her voice. "I said what?"_

_"Does, does God not like me?"_

_"Of course not."_

_"Really?"_

_"He __**hates **__you."_

"It's okay, Abby, I promise," Lucas whispered brokenly, pacing around the living room as the little girl in his arms continued to sob her heart out. No matter what he did or no matter what he tried to say, she wouldn't listen and cry more at the simple movement. "Calm down, please calm down."

When Abby fell silent all of a sudden, Lucas gently pulled her head back and took in the sight of her blotchy face, tears still streaming down her closed eyes. Her breathing seemed to have evened out, but he could feel her heart racing against his chest. He took a seat on the recliner and rubbed her back, reclining slightly to make it a bit more comfortable.

This was going to be the first of many breakdowns and he was fully prepared to take on many more of them.

After ten minutes of silence, he felt his phone vibrate on the table beside him. Careful not to disturb Abby, he flipped it open and prepared himself from the worst when the caller identified himself as Dr. Adams.

This couldn't happen.

Not today.

--

"Wow, you look like a ray of sunshine."

Brooke glared at Haley as she slumped on one of the stools at Karen's café, fishing a stray piece of yarn out of her hair. "Why do kids need to do arts and crafts? Instead of gluing the macaroni to the paper, they thought it would be better to glue it to me."

Haley automatically laughed, pouring Brooke a fresh cup of coffee as she continued to pout. She peeled a piece of green macaroni off of Brooke's sweater and threw it in the barrel beside her, leaning over the counter. "How's Abby's grandmother doing?"

"Still the same," Brooke mumbled into the cup, blowing on the steam gently before sipping the hot liquid carefully. "The poor girl…she won't sleep at night and then during the day she just…mopes around. I wish there was something I could do."

"Unless you're a white lighter like in Charmed, I don't think you can do anything," Haley attempted to joke, falling short when Brooke scoffed. She looked around the empty café and took a seat next to her best friend, rubbing her back soothingly. "Does, does it feel weird to have a kid in the house?"

"Yeah," Brooke nodded, her finger tracing the rim of the cup. "I just keep waiting for someone to come by and pick her up but then it hits me; she's here to stay. That is of course, if Jean gets better. I mean I want her to get better, but…"

"I understand," Haley whispered, when Brooke trailed off, staring off into space when silence fell between them. "If you and Lucas ever want some time alone, you can bring her to my, well my parent's, house. It's gets sort of lonely when Taylor goes off on her nightly booty calls and what not."

Brooke could hear the hurt in Haley's voice, cursing herself for basically erasing her best friend from her life. "I'm sorry, Hales. It's just, with everything going on…I haven't been the greatest friend."

"Brooke, that's not what I meant," Haley corrected herself, nudging Brooke's shoulder when she didn't look up. "Don't worry about me."

"I _always_ worry about you."

"Why?" Haley asked sincerely, her brown eyes narrowing into confused slits. When Brooke shrugged a shoulder, Haley knew what she meant. "Is it because of Nathan?"

"Haley, I love you-"

"Brooke, please," Haley's voice broke, giving Brooke the impression that she did not want to talk about this anymore.

Not now, not ever.

Much to Haley's dismay, Brooke wasn't having any of it. "No, you need to talk about this. It's been nearly two months, Haley! What's going on?"

"I, I don't know!"

"Laura, watch the front," Brooke told the other waitress, effortlessly lifting Haley off the stool and dragging her into the back room. As much as Haley protested, she couldn't get out of Brooke's grip and gulped loudly when Brooke forced her to sit down on the chair in Karen's make-shift office. "You…don't move."

"Brooke! This is ridiculous!"

"No! You know what's ridiculous? _You_ running away from your problems!" Brooke yelled, the lack of sleep catching up with her. Add in fifteen screaming pre-school kids and a stubborn Haley, this was not going to end well. "Haley, you're an adult…you two are not teenagers anymore."

"My marriage is none of your business," Haley spat angrily, grabbing Brooke's wrist and pushing her away when she tried to make her stay seated. "Don't come-"

"Brooke?"

God, she hadn't heard that voice in ages.

Brooke spun around and looked at Peyton, her heart dropping to her feet when she noticed she had Abby in her arms. The small girl was still clad in her pajamas and looked frightened beyond belief. "What, what happened?"

"Luke's been looking for you," Peyton whispered, afraid if she talked too loud it would make Abby start crying again. "Um, he's, he had to go to the hospital."

All the anger Haley had towards Brooke dissipated the second Peyton had finished her sentence. Abby remained silent and calm, wrapping the blonde's spiral curls around her fingers all the while sucking on her thumb. Brooke nearly fell back, allowing Haley to wrap her arms around her waist and sit her down on the comfy office chair. No one dared to speak; no one knew what to say.

"Did he say anything?" Brooke's eyes filled up immediate tears, holding out her arms for Abby when she caught the little girl's gaze. Abby quickly squirmed out of Peyton's arms and crawled into Brooke's, desperate to keep her sobs in. "Hi, sweetie," she whispered, patting Abby's back. "Are, are you hungry?"

"Do you want some macaroni and cheese?" Haley offered to help, bending down to get eye level with Haley. When Abby shook her head and refused to say anything, she looked up at Peyton and expected her to know what to do. "Pey, you have to get her to say something…"

"Just let them be," Peyton whispered, slinging an arm around Haley's shoulder and rubbing her arm soothingly when the shorter girl cuddled into her side. "She can do it, don't worry."

Brooke stood up and pushed Abby up on her hip, looking at her two friends for any sort of help. There was no peep out of the small girl for at least five minutes and that was beginning to scare her.

Abby was too exhausted to move and all cried out. She knew her grandmother was going to die soon and there was nothing out there that could prevent it. Her mother was right; God hated her. If God loved her in the first place, Janice wouldn't have been her mother at all. All she could remember was the loud nights her mother would spend yelling and screaming at various drug dealers for screwing her over, locking her in the bathroom without any dinner because the practically raw meat made her stomach sick. She remembered sleeping on the cold tile floor, making her body numb from all the holes in her pajama shirt and pants. The days she spent in school with Brooke were the days she longed for, praying each night that she could stay in school forever. She didn't want to come home and be dragged around by her hair, she didn't want to be yanked by the front of her shirt and thrown into the corner for time out because she annoyed her mother by asking a simple question.

After a pregnant pause, Abby finally spoke. "I want to see nana."

--

Brooke was getting sick of the redundancy the last few days brought. She swore the hospital was becoming her second home and if it wasn't for Jean, she would never step foot inside on again for a very long time. Abby opted to walk and hold Brooke's hand instead, absently falling behind when the bright halogen lights nearly blinded her for what felt like the umpteenth time. The insanely sterile smell of the air was also beginning to make her stick; the butterflies in her stomach turning to moths.

"Miss Brooke?"

Brooke bent down to get eye level with Abby, watching as Peyton and Haley kept their distance. She knew they were on the look-out for any sign of her husband. "What's up, sweetie?"

"Did, did nana go to heaven?"

God, why was this child so heart-breaking?

"I don't know, Abby," Brooke responded honestly, smiling sympathetically at the young girl when she pouted. "We have to find Lucas, okay? I bet he knows what's going on with your nana."

"But, I feel funny," Abby told the older woman in fear, holding her arms up when she didn't want to walk anymore. Brooke swiftly picked her up and held her tight, trying her best to whisper words that she hoped would bring the little girl comfort. "I don't, I don't feel good, Miss Brooke."

"What's wrong?"

Brooke mentally cursed herself for asking that sort of question.

"I'm scared," Abby began to cry, the small sobs hushed at first. "I didn't gets to say bye –bye or I love you, nana!"

"Oh, baby," Brooke gulped, swallowing past the huge lump that lodged itself in her throat. "Your nana _knows_ you love her…no matter what. Don't you understand that?"

"She, she knows I love her?" Abby sniffled, a sparkle of hope glimmering in her moist eyes.

"Of course," Brooke winked with a dimply smile, kissing Abby's forehead when she looked like that was the best new she had heard all of her young life. "She knows you love her! And you know what else?"

"What else?"

"She loves you the most in this world."

Abby smiled shyly and held Brooke's neck tighter, her sobs subsiding as the brunette rubbed her back gently as they trudged down the long hallway. "I love nana the most in the world, too!"

"I bet you do."

"Miss Brooke?"

"Miss Abby?" Brooke joked; glad that she was able to get a laugh out of the small girl.

Abby fiddled with Brooke's diamond necklace, almost afraid to look her teacher in the eye. "You and Mr. Lucas…well, I…" she trailed off, wondering if she was even allowed to say the word. "I like you guys a whole lot!"

"Aw, we like you a whole lot, too," Brooke felt her heart melt, stopping dead in her tracks when she finally found Lucas; he was slumped over in one of the plastic chairs, his head buried into his hands. His blonde hair was disheveled and she could just tell it was bad news. "Hey, sweetie, do you want to have Peyton and Haley take you to the cafeteria to get something to eat?"

"Yeah, come on," Haley encouraged, offering to take Abby from Brooke. She was reluctant at first, but Abby allowed the blonde to take her away from Brooke, waving nervously when she looked over Haley's shoulder back at Brooke. "I bet they have mac n' cheese!"

Brooke took a deep breath and took small steps over to her husband, placing a hand on his shoulder when he failed to register her presence. "Luke?"

"Brooke?" Lucas's voice cracked, lifting his head up to meet Brooke's gaze. His eyes were all bloodshot and it looked like he hadn't slept with days. "Peyton told you?"

"No," Brooke whimpered, allowing her husband to pull her down in his lap. "She just said you had to go to the hospital…she didn't say what happened or how…"

"She was just too sick," Lucas bit out, burying his face into Brooke's hair when she wrapped her small arms around his neck. He had to admit, it felt good to finally breakdown. He held her close and inhaled her familiar scent; Burberry London and little kids. "You know? They said she put up a good fight…they were surprised she lasted this long."

"Did you get to see her before she, she-"

"No," Lucas cut her off gruffly, his hands rubbing her stomach soothingly when it begun to heave violently due to the sobs that she was holding in. "She died around 10:30 this morning."

"At least she went peacefully," Brooke mused, allowing her tears to fall since Abby was safe in another part of the building with her friends. Lucas mumbled something into her ear, pressing his lips against her temple when she broke down. "Abby sort of already figured out that something went really wrong…"

"Where is she now?"

"With Peyton and Haley," Brooke whispered, absently running her fingers through Lucas's short hair.

Jean's death meant many things; a new life, a new responsibility. Their lives were about to change drastically and both of them were ready. Parenthood was calling and they were willing to answer. However, how was Abby going to deal with all this? Would she rebel? Resent them for not being able to save Jean's life?

"Hey, Luke?"

"Yeah, Pretty Girl?"

To this day, that nickname still made her blush. "I love you."

He leaned up and kissed her lips, fighting the urge to slip her a small bit of tongue. Now wasn't the right time or place. "I love you, too."

"I'm so sorry."

Lucas raised a confused eyebrow. "For what?"

"Just…just for everything," Brooke gestured with her hands, biting her lip when she willed her gaze to meet her husband's curious blue eyes. "For doubting you…for…for pushing you away when I found out you were sterile. God, you needed me! You needed me and I needed you and what did I do? I pushed you away because I'm the most selfish bitch on the planet."

"Brooke, stop," Lucas interrupted his wife's mini rant, closing all the space between them and pressing her small body tightly up against his. "It was a normal reaction but I'm gonna need you to do this with me, okay? We need to do it together…for Abby and for Jean."

"I can, I can do it," Brooke mustered up the best confidant smile. "I swear, Luke! That little girl is going, she's going to get it all because she deserves the world. It's been horrible to her for the past four years and we're going to make up it up to her. We need, we need to buy her new clothes, a new wardrobe! We need to re-do the guest bedroom…there's so much to do!"

"Calm down," Lucas laughed, reaching up to ruffle her hair when she pouted. "We need to take this one step at a time. Remember, we missed the first four years of her life…we need to make up for that."

"How?"

Lucas only wished he had an answer for that. "I don't have all the answers, Brooke."

"You like to think you do sometimes," Brooke mumbled, making a face before dropping her head on Lucas's shoulder. They sat in complete silence, watching the heaps of people rush in and head off towards the emergency room. Brooke sighed and interlaced her fingers with her husband's, sliding his wedding ring up and down. "Can you promise me something?"

"All depends," Lucas joked, hoping to add humor to the situation. "Of course, what is it?"

"Don't go anywhere," she whispered, her small tone laced with vulnerability. "I can't lose you, I can't do this alone."

"I'm not _going_ anywhere," Lucas whispered back, kissing the side of Brooke's head.

"You swear?"

"I swear on my autographed Michael Jordan jersey."

They allowed the silence to overtake them again, straightening up when Abby's small voice could be heard from a distance. "How are we supposed to tell her?"

Lucas shrugged, standing up with Brooke in his arms before putting her down on her feet. Their hands interlocked and he gave hers a gentle squeeze, mentally telling her she could do this.

They both could.

"Guess what! Guess what!" Abby shrieked as she ran over to the two of them, bouncing on the balls of her feet in excitement. She had cheese sauce all over her face and Brooke and Lucas couldn't help but smile at her display. "I said guess what!"

"What?" Brooke and Lucas replied in unison.

"I had _four_ bowls of macaroni and cheese!"

"Four?" Brooke's mouth dropped open, surprised Abby hadn't gotten sick yet. She sent a small glare towards Haley, rolling her eyes when her friend shrugged innocently. "Wow-that's a whole lot."

"I know! Haley said I could have more but she ran out of money."

"Figures," Brooke scoffed, bending down to Abby's level to wipe the cheese sauce off her face.

Just like a real _mother_.

Lucas (along with Haley and Peyton) smiled at the display and laughed when Brooke looked uncomfortable with their gazes. "What?"

"Nothing," Peyton waved her off, grabbing Haley's arm when she began to spare into space. "I'll take Baby Haley home, okay? Good luck," she sent Brooke a forced smile, mouthing "call me" before Abby looked back and waved, oblivious as to what was going on.

Haley threw her arms around Brooke and kissed her cheek, squeezing her tight before pulling back. "You can do this," she whispered in the brunette's ear before patting Abby's head. "Bye, Abby."

"Bye-bye," Abby waved up at Haley, wrapping an arm around Brooke's leg when she heard her shift from behind her. "Can, can we go see nana now?"

Brooke felt her heart break, looking at Lucas for help. "Sweetie," she began, her voice cracking slightly. She bent down to Abby's level, taking her into her arms. "We have to tell you something."

Lucas bent down next to Brooke, placing his hand on Abby's back. "Your nana, well your nana…she died this morning."

"No!" Abby pulled back, looking back and forth between the two adults frantically. Her eyes became clouded with tears and she had no idea what to do next. "Are, are they _sure_ she wasn't sleeping? I bet she's just really, really tired! She can't go to heaven!"

"I'm sorry," Brooke whispered tearfully, lifting the little girl up and holding her close. Abby welcomed the contact and buried her head into Brooke's shoulder, muffled sobs coming from her mouth. "I know, Abby, I know. But, it was her time…"

"I wanted to say bye," Abby sniffled, picking her head up to look at Lucas. "How come she had to go to heaven?"

"It was just her time," Lucas reiterated what Brooke said, at a complete loss for words. "I'm sorry, cutie. You don't deserve this at all."

Abby's lower lip trembled as Brooke rocked her back and forth, desperate to remain calm while in the middle of a secluded hospital waiting area. "So, so I gets to live with you guys now?"

After a pause, Lucas nodded his head. "Would you like that?"

"I like that very much," Abby wiped her tears, leaning over to give Lucas a hug. She fixed her gaze up to the ceiling and whispered: "I love you nana and I'll never forget you."

"She'll always be right there," Brooke pointed to Abby's heart, kissing the top of her head comfortingly.

She shared a look with Lucas and smiled; half in fear, half in anticipation of what was to time.

This was the beginning of their new life and she just hoped it was all going to work out in the end.

--

_The central struggle of parenthood is to let our hopes for our children outweigh our fears. __--__Ellen Goodman_


End file.
